Roger Garton Named Veteran Of The Month

By Mark SchoenrockRoger D. Garton was named March’s Veteran of the Month by Jefferson County Commissioners Tuesday morning, March 4, 2025. In addition, he was presented with a Quilt of Valor and a patriotic artwork created by created by Rory Roesener.Garton was born in October 1946 in Beatrice. He grew up in Ellis and attended school there through the 8th grade. He graduated Beatrice High School in 1965 and joined the United States Army in February 1966. Garton completed his basic training at Fort Leonard Wood Missouri and automotive mechanic training at Fort Eustis, Virginia. In August of 1966, he flew on a C141 from Virginia to Oakland, California, and subsequently embarked on a ship to the Republic of Vietnam, going under the Golden Gate Bridge. The journey took 23 days and he arrived in Vietnam in early September of 1966. Garton was assigned to stevedore duty on the Saigon River. His unit followed a bulldozer clearing the jungle to the river. His duty was to load and unload ships carrying critical materiel to support the war effort. They would ship damaged or broken trucks to Okinawa for repair and then receive the repaired trucks back from Okinawa to go back to war. The river was ¾ mile wide and the Viet Cong would engage them via direct fire and mortar fire. They maintained a trench to defend themselves against hostile fire and would frequently be engaged with the enemy. They also received aerial support from the Air Force and Army Apache helicopters. They always welcomed the fire support from the sky. In the mornings after a fire fight, they would go out to pick up the dead Viet Cong bodies and bury them.Garton returned to Nebraska on a two week leave after 11 months in country and then returned for another 11 month tour. He returned home for good in September of 1968 after his clearance physical at Fort McNair, District of Columbia. Garton returned to work at the Harbine Co-Op for one year and then 29 years at Vise Grip in DeWitt where he ran a press and the electric shop. He then had a 15 year career working for the Jefferson County Highway Department, where he ran the road grader around the Diller area.He now enjoys hunting and fishing, taking care of his yard at his home in Diller and visits from his son and grandson, who live in Bennington.

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