Area Vietnam Veterans Gary Dundee of Postville and Ed Blake of Waukon honored at In Memory ceremony held June 20 in Washington, D.C.

A pair of Allamakee County Veterans who served during the Vietnam War were recently memorialized and honored for their service during the 2026 In Memory Ceremony held June 20 on the grounds of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Gary Dundee of Postville and Ed Blake of Waukon were two of more than 750 Vietnam Veterans - 38 of them from Iowa - included in this year’s ceremony after their families applied for their inclusion in the program.

IN MEMORY PROGRAM
The In Memory program was created in 1993 by the group Friends of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, fueled by the belief that those who served in Vietnam should be honored and remembered for their service. It has since been managed by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) and enables the families and friends of those who did return home from their service in Vietnam, and later died, the opportunity to have them be forever memorialized for their service.

The black granite walls of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial itself hold the names of more than 58,000 men and women who gave their lives or remain missing while serving in the Vietnam War. The Memorial serves as the foundational site where the In Memory program has been held each year, with nearly 8,000 additional names now being part of the In Memory Honor Roll that memorializes those who served in the Vietnam War and were able to return home but have since passed away. That Honor Roll of memorialized Veterans can be viewed at https://www.vvmf.org/Honor-Roll/.

There is a plaque on the grounds of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial site in Washington, D.C. that honors these In Memory Honor Roll Veterans, after being dedicated in 2004. That plaque reads: In Memory of the men and women who served in the Vietnam War and later died as a result of their service. We honor and remember their sacrifice.

EVENT IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
After meeting the March application deadline for having their loved ones honored by the In Memory program, the families of Gary Dundee and Ed Blake were notified in late March that their applications were accepted and that those two Vietnam Veterans would be included in this year’s In Memory ceremony. Members of their families were then invited to take part in the In Memory ceremony and other events the weekend of Friday, June 19-Sunday, June 21.

Those events included a Meet and Greet Dinner held Friday evening, June 19, with the In Memory ceremony taking place Saturday morning, June 20. The weekend wrapped up with a Father’s Day Rose Remembrance event Sunday morning, June 21.

As part of the June 20 In Memory ceremony held at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial site, family members were invited to read aloud the name of their Vietnam Veteran being memorialized. Those who chose not to, or who were unable to attend, would have the name of their loved run read by a volunteer.

Attending this year’s In Memory ceremony from the local area were family members of Gary Dundee who included his daughters and their husbands and families, Jennifer and Tom Benda of Postville, along with their daughters, Rose and Clara, as well as Lori and Jerad Burns of Postville, along with their children, Khiaya and McKinley. Also attending was Ayden Blake, grandson of Ed Blake who is engaged to Rose Benda. It was Gary Dundee’s granddaughters, Clara Benda and Khiaya Burns, who volunteered to read both his name and the name of Ed Blake at the ceremony.

Each applicant also received a printed personal tribute certificate that contains the honoree’s name, photo(s), date of birth, date of death, and branch of service, as well as a yearbook for this year’s In Memory Ceremony and a lapel pin. As part of the In Memory Honor Roll, an online personal remembrance page is also created for each honoree with their photo and biographical information.

“I first learned about the In Memory program in May of 2022,” Jennifer Benda shared. “Our family had gone to Des Moines and came across the Vietnam Memorial. They were having a ceremony that day honoring the Veterans, and the person in charge ended up speaking with my husband and myself. He told us about the program and encouraged me to add my father’s name.”

Benda’s father, Gary Dundee, had passed away in 2019, and seeing the Vietnam Memorial in Des Moines proved to be a very emotional moment for her. She remembered her father’s service to his country in that Vietnam War, and also knew of his struggles with it, and she felt the In Memory program was a way that he could still be honored for the sacrifices he made, both serving and since his service.

“Growing up, I knew from a young age that my dad was in Vietnam and was shot while over there,” Benda recalled. “I knew he suffered from PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), although the label did not occur until much later.

Over the years, my father never really talked about his time in the service. As I got older, he was able to manage his symptoms more through the help of the VA (Veterans Affairs). He began to share some stuff with us and it was clear why he had struggled over the years.”

Benda further recalls the impact of her father’s service: “He never made it to DC to see the actual (Vietnam Veterans Memorial) wall, but he was able to see the moving wall, where he was welcomed home by a lady who was helping there. That was emotional because many vets were not welcomed home. Dad dropped out of school to go to Vietnam because he felt a call to serve his country. He was always proud to be a Marine. As I got older, I began to understand that who he was had been shaped by his time in the service.”

The personal aspect of making the decision proved to be more difficult than the application process itself, according to Benda. Once that decision was made and all of the documentation and information were in order, the application process was completed for both Gary Dundee and Ed Blake earlier this year.

“The decision to have Dad added to the program was easy to make but it still took time to put in place, more because of the emotional aspect,” she explained. “However, this year my sister and I decided it was time. The process was simple. We also reached out to the family of Ed Blake to see if they wanted to honor him as well. Our daughter (Rose) is engaged to his grandson (Ayden Blake). His family thought it sounded like a great honor as well so they also completed the paperwork. Ed was also a proud Veteran. He was like so many men of that era - strong and proud but quiet about his time there.”

THEIR SERVICE
Gary Lee Dundee of Postville was born February 18, 1951 and passed away May 2, 2019. He served in the U.S. Marines Corps during the Vietnam War. The biography on his In Memory Honor Roll tribute page reads as follows:

Gary proudly served his country during the Vietnam War. He served as a rifleman and as a tunnel rat. During his service, he was wounded in combat.

He was awarded the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, Vietnam Service Medal with one star, and the Vietnam Campaign Medal with device, along with the Rifle Marksman Badge.

Gary was a loving father and a man who meant so much to his family. We remember him with deep love, gratitude, and respect. His courage and sacrifice will never be forgotten.

Edward Patrick Blake of Waukon was born May 3, 1948 and passed away June 11, 2025. In 1968, he was drafted into the U.S. Army, serving in the Vietnam War from 1968-1970, where he was awarded a Purple Heart for his bravery.

Gary Dundee’s In Memory online page can be viewed at https://www.vvmf.org/Honor-Roll/506850/Gary-Lee-Dundee/. The In Memory online page for Ed Blake can be viewed at https://www.vvmf.org/Honor-Roll/506834/Edward-Patrick-Blake/.

According to the In Memory Honor Roll website page, the only other Allamakee County soldier currently listed on the In Memory Honor Roll is Stanley Mervin Larson of Postville, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Vietnam War and was inducted into the In Memory Honor Roll in 2004. He was born July 21, 1950 and passed away February 21, 1997.

OPPORTUNITY IN IOWA
Additionally, a mobile exhibit has been created that tours the United States and includes the digital photos of all In Memory honorees from the state where the exhibit is on display. Called The Wall That Heals, that mobile exhibit is scheduled to arrive in the state of Iowa for two stops in late July, including in Manning - west of Des Moines - from July 23-26, and in Brooklyn - east of Des Moines - from July 30-August 2. More information about The Wall That Heals can be found online at https://www.vvmf.org/The-Wall-That-Heals/.

To read the full article and view additional photos, pick up the Wednesday, July 22, 2026 print edition of The Standard or subscribe to our e-edition or print edition by clicking here.