Osage Bend honors 6 Purple Heart recipients

At left, John Dismer and Bryce Lockwood from the Military Order of the Purple Heart look on as Craig Koetting and Kenneth Brown sign papers for Osage Bend to be designated as a Purple Heart Village during a Sunday ceremony at St. Margaret's Catholic Church. In the middle is Rosie Verslues, who started the process for the designation.
At left, John Dismer and Bryce Lockwood from the Military Order of the Purple Heart look on as Craig Koetting and Kenneth Brown sign papers for Osage Bend to be designated as a Purple Heart Village during a Sunday ceremony at St. Margaret's Catholic Church. In the middle is Rosie Verslues, who started the process for the designation.

The community of Osage Bend honored six of its past Purple Heart recipients Sunday while also celebrating its new designation as a Purple Heart Village.

Four of those men never made it home; the other two returned with serious injuries.

Nearly 200 people attended the ceremony, which took place at St. Margaret's Church in Osage Bend, a few miles south of Wardsville.

Rosie Verslues, an Osage Bend native who now lives in Jefferson City, said she initiated the process after seeing St. Thomas become a Purple Heart City in June. She was inspired by the fact Osage Bend, despite being a small rural community, had six former residents who have been awarded the Purple Heart Medal.

Verslues' husband was a veteran, and she has worked on veterans events in Jefferson City for the past decade, including Operation Bugle Boy.

The guest speaker at the event was Mark Bruns, who works with the Fraternal Order of Police and is a former captain at the Jefferson City Fire Department and a former state representative. His father in law, Frank Bisges, was one of the six Purple Heart recipients honored at the event.

The six honorees, he said, would like the event not to draw attention to themselves, but to "show everyone what Osage Bend is all about."

"It's almost unthinkable that a town this size would have six soldiers earn the Purple Heart medal," he said.

He said the people who come from Osage Bend have several things in common, including their faith, their patriotism, their work ethic and their love for their community.

"You rarely hear them complain about anything that life might throw their way," he said.

When war broke out, they put their lives on hold to serve their country, he said, and they probably did so without complaining.

"I just wanted to end by simply saying 'thank you' to all of the families represented here," Bruns said. "Even though World War I, World War II and Vietnam happened many years ago, we still owe a debt to these soldiers and to their families, and we should always remember the sacrifices they made."

The Purple Heart is a medal given to members of the U.S. military who have been wounded or killed in action during war.

The ceremony honored these Purple Heart recipients from the Osage Bend community:

  • Henry Schmidt, who was killed in action during World War I.
  • Joseph Veit, who was killed in action in World War I and is buried in France.
  • Joseph Renterghem, who was killed in action in World War II and is buried in Belgium.
  • Frank Bisges, who was seriously injured in World War II.
  • Winfred Siebeneck, who was seriously injured in World War II.
  • Victor Cassmeyer, who was killed in action during the Vietnam War.
  • Erik Klebba, an Osage Bend resident who is currently serving in the U.S. Army, also spoke at the event.

"I consider it a great privilege to follow in the footsteps of all who have served in this country," he said. "We couldn't do what we do without the support and prayers of all our family and friends back home, so thank you all."