WASHINGTON – Tomorrow evening, Senator Chuck Grassley will present military service medals to the family of the late Corporal Kenneth W. Jurgens. The event is scheduled for 6:15 pm at Diny’s Steakhouse, at 306 Franklin Street , in Delhi .
Jurgens was killed in the line of duty in on March 18, 1967. On March 18, 2007, the 40th anniversary of Jurgens’s death, his family decided to commemorate the sacrifice Jurgens made to his country. Last fall, Jurgens’s nephew Rod Jurgens and retired Master Sergeant Gary Besler contacted Grassley’s office for help in recovering Jurgen’s medals and badges, including the Purple Heart, Bronze Star and Vietnam Service Medal, among others. They also had a memorial box built to house the medals.
“Kenny was drafted in 1966 as a 19-year old farm kid. He lost his life after just two months of fighting in , while on ambush patrol,” Grassley said. “It’s a privilege to pay tribute with his family to a soldier who is remembered as a hero 41 years later. His sacrifice is immeasurable, so his legacy must be, too.”
Jurgens’s family is also remembering him by starting an annual $300 memorial scholarship this spring through Dollar for Scholars at .
Grassley said, “The scholarship in his name will ensure that generations of high school kids learn about Kenny Jurgens and his legacy. When those students ask about the pursuit of freedom, and the ultimate sacrifice for democratic ideals, they’ll associate those patriotic acts with a patriot named Kenny Jurgens.”