Glen (Pete) Johnson honored at The Highground during Legacy Ceremony

NEILLSVILLE — For the rest of his life after returning from Vietnam, Glen (Pete) Johnson of Colfax suffered the effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

A stone dedication ceremony was held at The Highground Veterans Memorial Park near Neillsville October 1 to honor Pete Johnson.

Johnson’s family sponsored the stone to commemorate his service in Vietnam, to remember his sacrifices and the lifelong effects of his service, and to celebrate how he used his life to serve his family and community.

At the age of 19, Johnson served as a radar operator in Vietnam in 1968 and 1969. He returned from Vietnam to his wife, Sally, and new daughter. He would go on to have a happy family life and have four more children, to own an excavating business, and to volunteer as a firefighter and EMT in his hometown of Colfax.

And yet, Johnson’s service in Vietnam would affect him for the rest of his life. He lived with the effects of PTSD for decades.

Johnson died at the young age of 62 in a vehicle accident caused by a heart condition due to his exposure to Agent Orange.

Glen (Pete) Johnson’s full story can be read at The Highground in the Learning Center’s library. His family has put stories, pictures and words of gratitude in his Registry book for all to read.

The Highground in Neillsville is a 155-acre manned veterans memorial park that pays tribute to the dead, and honors the survivors, their service, and their sacrifices. The Highground fulfills its mission of healing and education by bringing past lessons into our hopes for the future.

The Highground’s mission will continue to focus on healing for all who come, regardless of the name of the battle which left the scars. The park includes tributes to veterans of WWI, WWII, Korea, and Vietnam, as well the National Native American Vietnam Memorial, the Wisconsin Persian Gulf Tribute, a Meditation Garden, a handicapped accessible treehouse, an exact replica of the Liberty Bell, Effigy Mound, a Learning Center (with a library) and four miles of hiking trails.

Located three miles west of Neillsville on US Hwy 10, the park is lighted and open to visitors year round 24 hours a day.

Incorporated in 1984 as the Wisconsin Vietnam Veterans Memorial Project, Inc., this grass-roots effort continues only because of the dedication of countless individuals, families, organizations, and businesses who have given of their time, talents, and financial resources.

Volunteers and contributors are the heart of The Highground.

“More than for all veterans, more than for those who did not come back, The Highground is a place for all of us” sums up The Highground’s mission.

Stone Placement Ceremonies are scheduled each month April through October.

Contact The Highground at 715-743-4224 or email highgrnd@tds.net for more information. You also are invited to visit the website at www.thehighground.org and to “Like” The Highground on Facebook.