Lawrenceburg Fall Music Fest Will Feature Annual Veteran's Presentation

Four war heroes will be recognized on the Civic Park stage this Saturday.

Left to right: Henry Alan Kellerman, James Le Masters, Errol Fowler and Walter Martin "Marty" Marshall. Photos provided. 

(Lawrenceburg, Ind.) - Lawrenceburg Fall Music Fest will feel a little different than the usual Lawrenceburg Fall Fest, but one great tradition is being upheld. 

The annual Veteran's Presentation will take place Saturday, September 26 at 2:00 p.m. on the stage at the Civic Park. 

Four war heroes will be recognized for their bravery and sacrifice. They are Henry Alan Kellerman, James Le Masters, Errol Fowler, Walter Martin "Marty" Marshall. 

Each honoree will receive a Quilt of Valor. 

Bio's (submitted by P.G. Gentrup) for this year's Fall Fest honorees are listed below.

Henry Alan Kellerman was born on November 8, 1948 in Cincinnati, OH to Henry George and Juanita “Bobbi” Kellerman. Alan was one of ten children with five sisters and four brothers. He attended grade school at St. Margaret Mary in Noth College Hill and then went to Roger Bacon High School with the Class of 1967. After serving in the Army, he returned and entered the University of Cincinnati (UC) where he earned an Associate’s Degree in Pre-business. Alan entered the Army on Nov. 22, 1965 and was sent to Ft. Knox, KY for basic training and then to Ft. Leonard Wood, MO for AIT. He then went to Ft. Benning, GA for Jump School and became airborne qualified with the 82nd Airborne. He was assigned to the 173rd Airborne in March of 1966 and deployed to Vietnam. He was stationed at Qui Nhon but but spent most of the time in the field near the Cambodian border up north in the highlands. Alan was wounded the first time in November of 1967 in a major battle at Dak To in the fight for Hill 875. It was a well publicized battle with many casualties. He was wounded again on March 3, 1968 by shrapnel from a RPG. He was sent back to the USA for rehab from his wounds and went to Walter Reed Hospital and then to Ft. Campbell, KY. He has paid dearly for his wounds in Vietnam with several surgeries thru the years. He still has pieces of shrapnel in his liver. He has had his gall baldder removed, part of his colon removed, part of his stomach removed, partial lung removed and suffered wounds to his chest, stomach and leg. He was awarded many medals including the National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with Palm, Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. He received the Parachutist Badge and the Expert Rifle Badge. He was discharged on October 7, 1968 at Ft. Bragg, NC. Alan worded all over the USA as a Pipefitter and installed sprinkler systems in many states for over 30 years. He helped raise seven step children and has many nieces and nephews. Alan is a Life Member of the VFW, Disabled American Veterans (DAV), Purple Heart Association (Life), Life Member of the Southeastern Indiana Vietnam Veterans of America Lary D. Fogle Chapter 71 and member of Aurora American Legion Post 231. Alan resides in Lawrenceburg, IN and is proud of his service, especially in Vietnam. He continues to support all veterans and those serving today. God Bless the USA.

James Le Masters was born on January 1, 1947 in Parkersburg, West Virginia to Oakey and Wymena Le Masters. He had one brother, Oakey, and three sisters, Nadine, Judy and Kathy Jo. James attended school in Parkersburg, in a one room schoolhouse, from grades 1-8 and then moved to Clarksburg, IN and graduated from Clarksburg High School in 1965. He participated in track, basketball and baseball. Clarksburg is now part of the North Decatur school system. He entered the Army in April of 1967 and took basic training at Ft. Campbell, KY and AIT at Ft. Dix, NJ. He attended NCO School at Ft. Benning, GA. He went to Vietnam in April of 1968 where he was sent to Cu Chi, South Vietnam with the 4/9th Infantry (Manchus) with the 25th Infantry Division. He was wounded by enemy fire on Nov. 8, 1968 while caught in a night ambush near Cu Chi. His wounds were extensive and he suffered wounds to his abdomen, right arm, hip and other shrapnel wounds from an enemy grenade. It required surgery and several stitches to fix his injuries. He was transferred to Japan and then back to Ft. Hood, TX where he was eventually discharged in April of 1969. He still suffers today from his many injuries. James was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with Palm, two Purple Hearts, Bronze Star and Expert Rifle Badge, as well as the Combat Infantryman’s Badge. He was a Specialist 4 or Spec 4. James married Della (Warren) on April 2, 1971 and they adopted two children, Jonathan and Amanda. They have six grandchildren. James worked at General Electric (GE) as a welder. He also worked at Progress Rail Service where they repaired railroad cars. Today, they reside on Collier Ridge near Guilford. James is a Life Member of the Southeastern Indiana Vietnam Veterans of America Lary D. Fogle Chapter 71 in Aurora, IN. He is a very patriotic man and still supports our troops serving today and is proud to be a veteran.

Errol Fowler was born on July 3, 1947 to James and Ellen Fowler in New Castle, Indiana. He has two brothers and two sisters. He attended grade schools in Spiceland and New Castle before moving to California in 1959 and attended high school there. Errol entered the United States Army in January of 1965 and took his basic training at Ft. Polk, Louisiana and then went to AIT at Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri. He was assigned to the 82nd Airborne from 1965-68 out of Ft. Bragg, NC. He was deployed to the Dominican Republic in 1966 and later graduated from Ranger School at Ft. Benning, GA in 1967. He graduated from the School of the Americas at Fort Gulich, Panama Canal Zone on December 1, 1967. He was notified recently that there are less than 100 surviving members of that elite school. He deployed to Vietnam with the 82nd in January of 1968 and arrived there in time for the Tet Offensive and was assigned to MACV as a trainer for the Long Range Recon Patrol (LRRP) and Special Operations. Errol was badly wounded during his tour of duty in when a fellow soldier stepped on a land mine and it blew both of them into a rice paddy and the soldier in front of him was killed. Errol still suffers from those severe wounds to his abdomen, legs and hips today. He was awarded two Purple Hearts, 2 Bronze Stars, National Defense Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Combat Infantryman’s Badge, Good Conduct Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Dominican Republic), Parachutist Badge, Expert Rifle Badge and the Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with Palm. He returned to Ft. Bragg in 1970 and then was assigned to the Citadel Military School in Charleston, SC in 1971 as an instructor to 3rd year cadets. In 1972 he was assigned to Germany where he assisted in developing a new combat support company. He was discharged from the Army as a Staff Sergeant (E-6) om December 13, 1973. Errol returned to civilian life and decided to go to college. He earned his Bachelor of Science from Missouri Baptist Bible College in Springfield, MO and then earned his Master’s Degree in Theology and his Doctor of Ministry from Tyndale College in Fort Worth, TX. Errol is proud of his martial arts skills and is a 6th Degree Black Belt in AIKDO and Pressure Point. He has trained many police departments in 9 week courses as well as many military groups. Errol married his wife, Avis, on May 20, 1967 and they have one daughter, Amy, and one grandson, Joshua. He has served as the pastor at several Baptist Churches in Oklahoma, Kentucky, Indiana and Damstadt, Germany. He is currently the pastor at the Chappelow Ridge Church in West Harrison, IN and has been there since 2010. They have a Guilford mailing address but reside in Dover, IN. He is a Life Member of the Southeastern Indiana Vietnam Veterans of America, Lary D. Fogle Chapter 71 in Aurora, IN. Errol is a very patriotic man and is proud to have served our great nation.

Walter Martin “Marty” Marshall was born on December 10, 1949 in Covington, KY to Charles and Virginia Marshall. He has one sister, Charlene Marshall. Marty married Nina Wilson on March 26, 1975. They have one son, Nicholas Marshall and one daughter, Lindsay Marshall Noble (husband, Jason). They have two grandchildren: Mallory and Will Noble. Marty graduated from Carroll County High School in Carrollton, KY and attended Morehead College. He worked at the Dow Corning Company for 33 years and is currently working for Gallatin County F.W.L. Insurance. Marty entered the United States Army on April 16, 1970 and completed Basic Training and AIT at Ft. Knox, KY. He deployed to Vietnam on August 28, 1970 and was stationed near the DMZ in Quang Tri, South Vietnam at Firebase Charlie 2 and Alpha 4. He was with the Recon Platoon, 1st Battalion, 61st Infantry Regiment of the 5th Infantry Division. He attained the rank of Sergeant, E-5. On May 21, 1971 they came under intense enemy fire from automatic weapons and a very heavy rocket attack. It was a night to forget and during the ensuing battle their outfit lost 21 soldiers who were killed in action and another 33 who were wounded in action, including Marty. Marty says he vividly remembers that fateful battle and May God Bless All of Them. He lost several buddies to enemy fire. Marty was awarded many medals while serving in Vietnam. He earned the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with two stars, Vietnam Campaign Medal with 60 device, Army Good Conduct Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with Palm and the Purple Heart for wounds suffered in combat against enemy forces. His MOS was 11D40 for Armed Recon. He returned to the USA and was honorably discharged on Oct. 18, 1971. Marty Marshall is a very patriotic man who believes in the United States of America and what it stands for. He respects our American Flag and what it symbolizes. He has passed his patriotism on to his children and grandchildren and strives to make this a better place for his family and all of us. Marty is a Life Member of the Southeastern Indiana Vietnam Veterans of America, Lary D. Fogle Chapter 71 in Aurora, IN. He is proud to have served our great nation and would do it again if called to do so. God Bless America.