Butch Sylvester, left, and Rex Wiegand look over Uhland’s new Veterans Wall following the dedication ceremony last week. (Photos by Wes Ferguson)
by WES FERGUSON
A lone bugler’s rendition of “Taps” echoed through the historic community center in Uhland a week ago as a reverent crowd of nearly 100 people marked the dedication of the town’s new Veterans Wall.
Following the brief ceremony, members of the crowd gathered around the wall to examine the portraits of about six dozen area veterans. Several people ran their hands over framed photographs of loved ones.
“These are all my friends from years ago,” said Rex Wiegand of Uhland, who attended the dedication with his wife, Mary.
One of the portraits belonged to Wiegand’s father, William, who served in the U.S. Army during World War I.
The dedication included a citywide proclamation, patriotic singing, a drill by the color guard from the U.S. Air Force ROTC at Texas State University and a short speech by San Marcos resident Ollie Maier, a retired Air Force instructor and fighter pilot.
“Oh, I love this wall,” Maier said afterward. “I think it’s a great honor to the whole community to recognize the people who helped keep this country free.”
Maier set a Vietnam War record for combat missions in one year, flying 502 of them. He participated in the Tet Offensive in 1968.
Most pilots were restricted to one combat mission per day, he said, but Maier flew as many as he could because he was involved in a test program to evaluate a type of trainer plane, the A-37, in combat situations.
The A-37 provided better air support for troops on the ground, he said, because it was slower and could fly lower than fighter planes. That made it an easier target, though.
“I brought home many an airplane with bullet holes in it,” Maier said.
In addition to the photos of service members, Uhland’s Veterans Wall displays flags and emblems from the branches of the military. It represents the efforts of several Uhland residents, most notably Myrtle Heideman, Hays Free Press columnist who dreamed up the wall and led the effort to gather the photos.
Heideman was in the hospital and unable to attend last week’s ceremony, according to her son, Uhland Mayor Daniel Hiedeman. She is expected to return home this week or next.
