A soldier from northeastern Iowa who was killed in action in Vietnam will be remembered in a ceremony next week. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says the family of Corporal Kenneth Jurgens contacted his office for help in recovering the Hopkinton soldier’s medals, which include the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart, among others.
Grassley says: "Kenny left home in 1967 as a 19-year-old Iowa farm kid and he lost his life after just two months in Vietnam. He was on ambush patrol at the time he died." He will be presenting family members with Jurgens’ medals during the service, scheduled for next Tuesday in Hopkinton.
"It’s a privilege for me being asked by this family to pay tribute to his family and in turn to this soldier, who is remembered as a hero 41 years later," Grassley says, adding, the family is also starting an annual memorial scholarship this spring through Dollars For Scholars at Maquoketa Valley High School.