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It’s been 55 years since George Banda saw his friend Ed Veser. With a matinee idol countenance, a wife who looked like Annette Funicello and a baby on the way, Veser was on the cusp of a
bright future. While serving with Banda in the U.S. Army in Vietnam, Veser often regaled his friend with his plans of becoming an electrician and building a big home in Waukesha where he
would raise his family. He was savoring the day when he could return home and make his dreams come true. “He was just one of the greatest guys I ever met,” said Banda, the keynote speaker at
Monday’s Memorial Day ceremony in Wood National Cemetery. “He was my buddy and my best friend.” Banda remembered Veser keeping a photo of his wife Connie in the breast pocket of his
uniform, taking it out often to admire. Connie would write him letters two or three times a week. “I can’t tell you how in love they were,” he said. “They had all these plans.” But those
plans were never realized because Veser never made it home. He was killed May 6, 1970, when North Vietnamese troops overran his unit. It was Veser’s wife Connie who answered the doorbell
when soldiers in uniforms — a notification team — informed her that Ed had died in the line of duty. “Connie wanted to scream, but nothing came out,” Banda said. “These men had just broken
her heart into a million pieces and destroyed her dreams with Ed and all of their plans.” NEVER FORGOTTEN Fast forward 55 years and Banda is in Wisconsin Memorial Park, visiting the grave of
his friend, as he does often on Memorial Day weekend. While there, he noticed fresh flowers and knew that Connie had been there too. “Connie never remarried. She had lost her soulmate,”
Banda said. “She has been placing flowers at her soulmate’s grave for 55 years and counting. “And as I turned to walk away, I could hear his voice clearly. To me, he’s still 20 years old,
with those blue eyes and great smile. That’s the way I’ll always remember him. And I could hear him say, ‘Thank you for coming back. Thank you for remembering.’ And I always reply, ‘Always,
my friend. Always.’” Banda’s story of his friend resonated with the hundreds of attendees at the service, many of whom probably had similar stories they could tell of friends taken too soon.
THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE And the ceremony emphasized that Memorial Day is about remembering those who made the ultimate sacrifice and making sure their lives were not taken in vain. “Let us
rededicate ourselves to doing what we can to honor the service and sacrifice of all our Veterans,” U.S. Rep. Gwendolyn Moore said. “We should be thankful for those who have paid the ultimate
price. “We talk about the flag waving, o’er the land of the free and home of the brave, but the flag does not wave because the wind blows it. It waves with the breath of every soldier that
gave their life defending it,” she said. “So today, on behalf of a grateful nation, thank you for your sacrifice.” 'THE COST OF LIBERTY' Others echoed those words. David Barnes,
assistant director of Wood National Cemetery, noted that 2025 marks three significant milestones in American history: 250 years since the start of the American Revolution, 80 years since the
end of World War II and 50 years since the end of the Vietnam War. “Each represents a chapter in our history of American sacrifice that binds us together and encourages us to reflect on the
cost of liberty,” he said. 'EACH MARKER TELLS A STORY' Looking out over the 35,000 white gravestones in the cemetery, Bruce Voigt, director of the Milwaukee Regional Office of the
Veterans Benefits Administration, said “each marker tells a story of sacrifice.” “These 50 acres hold more than headstones. They hold promises kept; men and women who ran toward danger, who
stood for something greater than themselves,” he said. “Today we honor them.” James McLain, executive director of the Milwaukee VA Medical Center, struck a similar tone. “The garden of
stone surrounding us is testament to the courage of our nation’s service members across many generations,” he said. “Today we stand together in this hollowed place to remember America’s
fallen. Let us never forget.” The ceremony included placement of wreaths, a balloon release in remembrance of those who were prisoners of war or missing in action, a rifle salute and the
playing of taps. The Milwaukee American Legion band performed patriotic numbers, concluding the ceremony with “God Bless America,” sung by Madeleine Keane, and “The Stars and Stripes
Forever.” To view imagery from the 2025 Memorial Day Ceremony held at Wood National Cemetery, CLICK HERE.