New pillar, plaque honor Marine Lt. Frederick Williams
The rededication of the flagpole and its pillar and the unveiling of a new POW-MIA chair of honor at Mackay Stadium highlighted this year’s Salute to Service on Nov. 2, before the Colorado State–Nevada football game.
A halftime ceremony recognized veterans from all branches of the military and Gold Star families who suffered the pain of losing a loved one in service to the United States.
A special rededication ceremony for the flagpole honored the late Marine Corps 1st Lt. Frederick “Freddie” Williams, a Wolf Pack football player and track star in the early 1960s who attended officer candidate school after graduation before shipping off to South Vietnam. Williams died on May 26, 1968, after a sniper killed him on Go Noi Island near Da Nang.
Keith Lee, a former teammate of Williams, called the young Marine an incredible friend. He said Williams and his unit were pinned down in a nine-day battle, but on the final day—May 26, 1968—a sniper’s bullet ended the former Nevada student’s life.
“He was the last killed in that battle, taken out by a sniper,” Lee recalled.
John Galloway, director of the USS Nevada Project and a supporter of veteran causes, said the time had come to replace the base of the flagpole and the plaque honoring Williams, who was born in 1943. Galloway said a bronze plaque will replace the temporary one in the future.
“It was time to replace the plaque,” Galloway said.
Galloway described the Gold Star pillar as 50 inches tall, with each inch representing a state. He said four stanchions honor the men and women who died while fighting for one of the four major services in Vietnam: the Air Force, Army, Marines, or Navy.
The new University of Nevada Gold Star pillar is 50 inches tall, approximately a half-foot taller than the previous one. A continuous Wolf Pack blue chain connects the stanchions to maintain integrity.
“The time capsule contains replicas of Freddie’s medals awarded for Vietnam, the university, and the 150th birthday commemoration,” Galloway said, adding that a letter written by university President Brian Sandoval is also included.
Also attending the 30-minute ceremony were six veterans from the Nevada State Veterans Home in Sparks and three Gold Star families from Northern Nevada.
- Army Sgt. Timothy Sayne of Reno died in Afghanistan while serving with the 25th Division, 5th Squadron. He was represented by his wife, Thania Sayne, and her two sons, Timothy Kalvin, age 14, and Troy Douglas, age 12.
- Warrant Officer John W. Fink, a Huey pilot with F Troop, 8th Cavalry, 196th Infantry in South Vietnam, was shot down on April 2, 1972, and was listed as missing in action. He was declared dead on April 16, 1973.
- Chief Warrant Officer 2 Joshua Rogers, a graduate of Douglas High School, was killed on May 30, 2007, along with four other crew members when his Chinook helicopter was shot down in Afghanistan. Rogers was represented by his wife and their three daughters. At the time of his death, his daughters Madison, Autumn, and Ashlyn were ages 7, 3, and 2, respectively. Autumn is now a senior at the University of Nevada.
Choate’s mother, Katrina Bentley, served as an Army nurse and reached the rank of colonel. She is a recipient of the Legion of Merit for her 25 years of service.
Next season, Galloway said a bronze folded American flag will replace the cloth Stars and Stripes. Galloway also unveiled a replica football helmet worn by Williams and presented it to first-year Nevada football coach Jeff Choate. Sandoval added that the university honors and appreciates the men and women who serve in the military.
“Nevada is the Battle Born state, and the university’s motto is ‘All for our Country,’” Sandoval said. “Supporting the military is part of our DNA, and we’re grateful for the men and women who not only serve but have also sacrificed.”
Sandoval said the line of graduates extends back to the Spanish-American War.
“There are several places on campus that honor our military and continue to do so today,” Sandoval said. “It’s very emotional, and it’s appropriate to begin something like this. It is for him (Williams).”
After the short ceremony, the unveiling of the POW-MIA chair reflected the sun’s rays peeking through the clouds.
Galloway also invited Terri Dunn-Campbell and her husband, Gary, to Salute to Service. Before the festivities at Mackay Stadium, he took them to the USS Nevada Memorial in Carson City, where they received a tour of the capitol. In August, as part of the rollout of the Battle Born Shield, Galloway introduced University of Nevada football players and coaches to Dunn-Campbell, who had a son in the Marines. A sniper killed her 19-year-old son, Marine Lance Cpl. Kielin Dunn, in Afghanistan on Feb. 18, 2010.
At the team’s dinner the night before the Nov. 1 football game against Colorado State, Dunn-Campbell met Choate and the players.
“We felt very welcomed,” she said, emphasizing the freedoms enjoyed by the country’s residents. “This has been an overwhelming experience to meet the players and speak to them one-on-one so they can understand freedom is not free. I could not help but notice a lot of players are about the same age as Kielin was when he was killed. This is very impactful … everyone is recognizing our veterans past and present.”
Dunn-Campbell said Gold Star families have suffered the most.
“We continue to give back to the community and more because we understand the price to pay,” she added.
