By: Matt Scher, matts@977thebolt.com
Humboldt, IA – The Grand Marshal for the 2023 Humboldt July 4 Parade, has been announced as Kurt Paeper, a veteran of the Vietnam War.
Paeper graduated from Newell High School, now known as Newell-Fonda, in 1964. Paeper was drafted and did his basic training in the summer of 1967 at Ft. Benning in Georgia with advanced training at Fort Knox, Kentucky. Serving as an Armor Intelligence Specialist, he was ordered to Vietnam, landing there on December 5 and received two purple hearts for his service in addition to Valorous Unit Award and discharged in 1968.
Paeper was injured twice in Vietnam, The first time, it was by a rocket-propelled grenade right before Christmas. His armored personnel carrier was on what was called a midnight thunder run. That involved driving tanks and APCs down a road at midnight in an effort to get the Viet Cong to use up ammunition by shooting at them. The impact blew him out of the APC. The shrapnel was eventually pulled out of his legs by medical personnel. The second time he was injured was on Jan. 31, his sciatic nerve was severed when he was shot and hit by shrapnel.
Before the war had played guitar for The Beach-Niks, who in 2000 were inducted into the Iowa Rock ‘n’ Roll Music Association Hall of Fame.
The Humboldt July 4 Parade begins at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday.