GVSU adds three vets to campus memorial wall

Matt Jaworowski
·2 min read

ALLENDALE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — The community at Grand Valley State University will remember and honor three of their own after adding their names to a memorial wall on campus.

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The university held a small ceremony last month to honor three Laker veterans who have since died: Joseph Early, Adam Forbes and Baron Klein.

President Philomena V. Mantella and Shane Scherer, the director of the GVSU Military and Veterans Resource Center, addressed the crowd, including family of the three men.

Three more names have been added to the memorial wall on the Allendale campus of Grand Valley State University. (Matt Jaworowski/WOOD TV8)
Three more names have been added to the memorial wall on the Allendale campus of Grand Valley State University. (Matt Jaworowski/WOOD TV8)

“This event today serves as a poignant reminder of the gratitude we owe those who protect our freedoms and uphold our values in our nation,” Mantella said.

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The stone memorial wall sits in a garden behind the Cook-DeWitt Center at the heart of the Allendale campus. The university says the wall is part of the vision of Steven Lipnicki, a former assistant dean of students who had a passion for helping veterans.

“This memorial will offer space not just on Memorial Day, but every day for reflection and to always honor the legacy of our veterans and the impact they have made in our personal lives in the United States,” Mantella said.

  • The family of three student veterans from Grand Valley State University attended a ceremony on May 24, 2024. Their names have been added to the memorial wall on GVSU's Allendale campus. (Courtesy Kendra Stanley-Mills/GVSU)
    The family of three student veterans from Grand Valley State University attended a ceremony on May 24, 2024. Their names have been added to the memorial wall on GVSU’s Allendale campus. (Courtesy Kendra Stanley-Mills/GVSU)
  • Grand Valley State University President Philomena V. Mantella speaks at a memorial ceremony on May 24, 2024. (Courtesy Kendra Stanley-Mills/GVSU)
    Grand Valley State University President Philomena V. Mantella speaks at a memorial ceremony on May 24, 2024. (Courtesy Kendra Stanley-Mills/GVSU)
  • GVSU alum Samantha Butcher holds her hand to the memorial wall on Grand Valley State University's campus on May 24, 2024. (Courtesy Kendra Stanley-Mills/GVSU)
    GVSU alum Samantha Butcher holds her hand to the memorial wall on Grand Valley State University’s campus on May 24, 2024. (Courtesy Kendra Stanley-Mills/GVSU)

Said Scherer: “Your presence is a testament to the profound impact these individuals had on the community and the endearing legacy they leave behind.”

Early and Klein both served in the U.S. Army, while Forbes served in the U.S. Coast Guard.

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