A show of support

Inside the Paradise Creek of Olympus Retirement Living on Eisenhower Street in Moscow, a new wall display has been created to honor the veterans who live and work there.

Those veterans, their family, friends and staff at the facility gathered Wednesday to see the completed Wall of Honor and celebrate Veterans Day a few days early. The wall features facility residents and employees who have served in any branch of the military. The plan is to add to the wall as more feel comfortable sharing their service stories and being recognized.

Dana Van Laningham served in the Army from 2002 to 2007 and participates in monthly veterans meetings at Paradise Creek of Olympus, where he works as the facilities director.

“As a vet, I felt honored to continue to serve,” Van Laningham said. “It’s given me a feeling of continued service.”

The monthly meetings, he said, are for veterans to gather and share stories from their time in the service and to bring a sense of connection between them. The group is open to veterans and has members from times of war and peace.

“What meant the most to me is that some men voiced that they had a place to voice their feelings,” Van Laningham said.

The meetings have been happening for a few years, Van Laningham said, and have a core group of attendees. Continuing to have the monthly meetings is important to Van Laningham because for residents it is often their “last chapter,” and this gives them something to look back at and hold on to.

“I wanted to make something we could huddle around for support,” Van Laningham said during his opening remarks to the crowd gathered Wednesday.

The oldest veteran who attended the Wall of Honor unveiling was Len Bielenberg, 96, who served in World War II. Bielenberg joined the Navy in 1945 at the age of 17. Bielenberg shared his story of entering the Navy and recounted how he enlisted because he thought he would be recruited anyways. He said after his physical examination he was told the Navy wouldn’t take him if he didn’t pass a written test. He passed that test and was sent to Green Bay, Wisc.

After being released after 13 months and the end of the war, he attended the University of Idaho and earned a business degree. He eventually earned a law degree. His first job after college was assistant to the Idaho attorney general, who at the time was Robert E. Smylie. Bielenberg would continue practicing law for nearly 50 years.

He sometimes will stop in at the group meetings to talk with the other veterans who attend.

“I enjoy hearing the stories of other veterans,” Bielenberg said.

Nelson can be reached at knelson@dnews.com.