Vision takes shape — Vet memorial project reaches milestone after years of work

The dirt remained primarily undisturbed when attendees left the June 1 ground-breaking ceremony for Newcastle’s proposed veterans memorial, but something significant had changed.

After seven years of planning, fund raising and setbacks, the memorial had finally moved from an idea people talked about to a project people expect to see built.

“I believe that this is actually going to happen,” memorial director Duke Ottema said. “A lot of weight was lifted off our shoulders.”

The ceremony marked a milestone in a project that began with a question Ottema could not shake: Why doesn’t Newcastle have a veterans memorial like so many other communities?

That question first surfaced during an August 2018 vacation with his wife, DeAnn. While visiting Pierre, South Dakota, Ottema stopped at the city’s veterans memorial, which features bronze statues of veterans representing branches of the military by the lake, and he was struck by what he saw.

“I just couldn’t believe how beautiful that memorial was,” Ottema said.

As the couple continued traveling through Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota and South Dakota, Ottema noticed that community after community had a prominent place dedicated to honoring veterans. After visiting memorials in communities such as Custer, Upton, Sundance and Gillette, he became convinced Newcastle should have a similar tribute, and he decided to do something about it.

Long road

Ottema, who served in the Army patrolling borders in Germany in the 1970s, said Newcastle needs a dedicated veterans memorial because existing memorials do not provide a central place for reflection and recognition.

Ottema, who is a member of the American Legion, launched a committee to support the memorial, and, over the years, volunteers formed a nonprofit organization, assembled a committee, searched for a location, pursued grants and raised funds.

He said members hope to recognize every veteran who ever lived in Newcastle by collecting stories and photographs and eventually displaying plaques listing names, ranks, service locations and years of service.

Finding a site proved to be one of the biggest challenges.

Committee members explored multiple locations, including a park, the fairgrounds and property near the Weston County Museum District’s Anna Miller Museum. One proposal lingered for nearly two years before being rejected, according to Ottema.

The breakthrough came when Pinnacle Bank Regional President Justin Tystad offered property near the intersection of U.S. Highways 16 and 85 for the memorial.

“That solved the big problem,” Ottema said.

Tystad said this community investment is particularly meaningful.

“This memorial will honor service and sacrifice while creating a gathering place that strengthens our community,” he told the News Letter Journal. “We are pleased to provide the site and help support a project that will have a lasting impact on Newcastle and Weston County.”

Funding the vision

Funding proved to be another major challenge. The committee spent years pursuing grants and outside funding but saw limited success.

“We didn’t have much luck,” Ottema said.

He said a proposed memorial design developed with a Gillette firm carried an estimated cost of about $725,000, far beyond what the committee could afford. As a result, the group withdrew from the project and began searching for another path forward.

Rather than abandoning the effort, committee members shifted their strategy. Ottema approached five local entities seeking assistance, not financial contributions. Instead, he asked for labor and equipment to help construct the memorial. According to Ottema, every organization agreed to help. He said that support transformed the project and made the June 1 ground breaking possible.

Even then, years of delays and setbacks had taken a toll.

“It’s been probably the hardest mental thing I’ve ever had to do in my life,” Ottema said.

The committee still expects fund raising to play a significant role in future phases. Current plans call for three illuminated pillars, including a center pillar about 45 feet tall that committee members hope will draw travelers’ attention. The plans also include a large curved brick memorial wall and other features that will require additional resources. Although committee members hope major portions of the project can be completed within a year, Ottema said construction will occur in phases as money becomes available.

According to Ottema, committee members hope visible progress at the site will encourage more donations from local residents.

Personal mission

Kathy Levasseur believes community support will grow once residents see progress. According to Levasseur, the project is an effort that has involved many people.

Her commitment to the project brought her back to Newcastle.

Levasseur first learned about the memorial effort while attending a Newcastle High School class function in 2023. Motivated by the memory of her older brother, a Vietnam veteran who died at age 31 after developing leukemia believed to be linked to Agent Orange exposure, she contacted Ottema and toured the proposed site. Her brother, a 1965 NHS graduate, served in the Army in Vietnam and left behind a 2-year-old daughter when he died.

“We lost him so, so early,” Levasseur said.

After meeting with Ottema, she returned to Cheyenne, put her house up for sale and moved back to Newcastle within months. 

Having recently retired after working for the State of Wyoming and caring for her mother in a memory care facility, Levasseur said the memorial project gave her a new purpose. She has spent the past two years helping promote the effort, recruit supporters and share its story.

Levasseur said her family’s military connections extend beyond her brother. Her father, son and five uncles also served in the military, giving her a firsthand understanding of the sacrifices military families make. When visitors eventually see the memorial, she hopes they think not only about veterans but also about the families who supported them.

“It’s a whole family thing,” Levasseur said. “It’s not just one soldier. It’s the family, the grandparents. Everybody sacrifices.”

According to Tystad, the project has united veterans, businesses, community leaders and residents from across Weston County.

“The ground-breaking is a testament to what can happen when people come together around a shared purpose,” Tystad said.

Looking ahead

Ottema said the plan goes before the Newcastle Planning and Zoning Commission on June 11 to receive approval to begin site work.

The site will also be the location of the Moving Wall, a traveling replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., from Aug. 13-17 during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Committee members hope the display will raise awareness and support for the permanent memorial project, and they will take donations near the site.

“The wall is another whole experience,” Levasseur told the NLJ, “but we want our memorial to be that same kind of experience — a moving thing.”

Smaller memorials

Two existing Weston County memorials reflect the community’s long-standing commitment to honoring those who served and sacrificed.

In Greenwood Cemetery, Newcastle’s veterans memorial grew from the grief surrounding the 1969 death of Vietnam veteran Randy L. Schultz, who died shortly after returning home from service. Using memorial funds donated by Schultz’s family, local residents led by former News Letter Journal editor and National Guard officer James Parrish transformed a barren hillside into a gathering place for Memorial Day services. Conceived as both a tribute to Schultz and a living memorial where additional veterans could be recognized, the site features plaques, a cross, a flagpole and the inscription, “In Memory of Those Who Served.”

At the Weston County Courthouse, a granite war memorial established in 1953 honors county residents who died in wartime service. Originally envisioned by the Navy Mothers Club, the memorial continues to evolve as names are added through requests to county commissioners, ensuring that local service members who made the ultimate sacrifice are remembered by future generations.

While meaningful and enduring, these memorials differ in scale and visibility from the Newcastle Veterans Memorial currently being planned at the intersection of U.S. Highways 85 and 16.

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