Never forget the wars soldiers gave their lives to fight

Jerry Rykal spoke to the Cadott School District Nov. 10, about his time serving in the Marines during the Korean War. Rykal is a familiar face at the school and continues volunteering in various capacities. Photo by Ginna Young

By Ginna Young

You wouldn’t know it to look at him, as his energy is still high and he’s still active in many things, but Buck Sgt. Gerald “Jerry” Rykal served in the U.S. Marines, during the Korean War. Rykal was raised on a farm outside of Cadott, graduating from high school in 1952.

He then joined the Marines for three years, before he was discharged and returned home. Rykal’s story of service began when he journeyed to Eau Claire, to enlist in the Navy.

“Well, when I got there, the Navy recruiter was not there, but the Marine recruiter was,” he said.

After his advance infantry training, Rykal was sent to a naval school in California, for basic electronics. He then went to San Diego, Calif., for training as a long-range and short-range radar technician.

It was then to Miami, Fla., that Rykal was sent to, to work with units he had never been trained for, as part of the Ground Controls Approach.

“It was our job to train pilots to be able to land in terrible weather, strictly by us talking to them,” said Rykal.

He did that for the remainder of his service. When he returned from his service in the Marines, Rykal attended UW-Eau Claire, then taught at his alma mater, from 196195.

Rykal was also an assistant high school football coach, and was asked to coach the seventh and eighth-grade team, who formed the nucleus of Cadott’s lone State football championship team. Over the years, he also served as a school bus driver, summer custodian and basketball offi cial, along with being a member of the Cadott American Legion for almost 60 years.

In this day and age, the Korean War is often referred to as the Forgotten War. Some say that, because it occurred between World War II and Vietnam, or that it was a “police action.”

However, 1.75 million soldiers took part in it and 35,000 lost their lives.

“The Korean War never ended,” said Rykal. “There’s still no peace treaty.”

[caption id="attachment_205606" align="alignnone" width="300"] Before a packed house, the elementary students showed what a veteran(s) in their life means to them, by holding a photo of the service person, while they sang Day by Day. The band also performed, as did the choir, with thunderous applause from the student body for the veterans present. Photo by Ginna Young[/caption]   [caption id="attachment_205605" align="alignnone" width="300"] Elementary students were proud to wave small American flags during the Veterans Day ceremony at Cadott, given to them by the Cadott American Legion. The kids could then take the flags home with them. Photo by Ginna Young[/caption]