War in Iraq Coverage from National Public Radio Discuss the conflict Audio Small town buries one of its own (story audio) Photos Remembering Bert Hoyer Village president Gerry De Wolf Armory View full slideshow (5 images) Your Voice Join the conversation with other MPR listeners in the News Forum.

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Small town buries one of its own
by Cathy Wurzer, Minnesota Public Radio
March 17, 2004

The fence outside the armory in Ellsworth, Wisconsin, has become a memorial to Bert Hoyer, and other members of the 652nd Engineering Company who have been killed in the Iraq war. (MPR Photo/Cathy Wurzer)

In Ellsworth, Wisconsin, flags are at half staff. Schools will be let out early Thursday, and a couple thousand people are expected for the funeral of one of its residents, an Army reservist, who was killed recently in Iraq.

Ellsworth, Wis. — Bert Hoyer, 23, was a specialist with the 652nd Engineer Company, based in Ellsworth. Hoyer was building bridges in Iraq when he was killed by a bomb blast.

"When you lose someone through this type of tragedy, it's a loss for everyone. Not just the family, but the community as a whole," says Gerry De Wolf, the president of this small town, located about an hour east of the Twin Cities.

	Village president Gerry De Wolf

When he learned about Bert Hoyer's death, De Wolf went around town, lowering flags to half staff, in honor of the young man. De Wolf is a former member of the 652nd Engineer Company, so he says Hoyer's death hit especially close.

"You can understand these things can happen. It's part of the freedom that we enjoy, the sacrifice that we all at one time could've made in the military," says De Wolf. "It's the freedom part that's important, but there are sacrifices that go with it, and Bert sacrificed the ultimate."

Residents say the young man meant a lot to the community, and so does the military unit he was part of.

"The company stands for what we're all about in the United States," says Doug Hatch, an assistant principal at Ellsworth Middle School.

	Armory

"I've been here four years,and it is a very, very patriotic community. We had a sendoff for them when they deployed, and we had the entire community -- elementary, middle school, high school kids -- lined the streets with flags," says Hatch. "We sent them off in February, I believe it was, so that just kind of gives you an idea of how much the unit means to Ellsworth and the surrounding area."

The 652nd Engineer Company is housed in what used to be a farm implement dealership. The unit has been in Ellsworth since 1955. Back then, it had 10 enlisted men and two officers. Before shipping out for Iraq, the unit had 179 members from all over the region.

Four, including Bert Hoyer, have been killed. But he's the first from Ellsworth to die in the Iraq war. The deaths have turned the chain link fence outside the armory into a makeshift memorial, with flowers, wreaths, red, white and blue bunting, and hand-lettered signs of support and love.

At the Ellsworth middle school, Bert Hoyer had been an overseas pen pal with a class of sixth graders. Kathy Thoner works at the school.

	Freedom wall

"I would get this huge envelope full of letters that had to be mailed out. I was the one who taped it up and put it in the mail and made sure it got there," says Thoner. "And when they'd get a letter back, you knew it was a letter from Bert, because everybody in the whole school would hear about it, and get to read it."

"His letters were touching, his letters were straight from the heart. He'd tell the kids this is the best years of your life, work hard at it, enjoy it, because this is what life is all about. Put your all into what you do, and I know that's what Bert did," Thoner says.

The village of Ellsworth is named in honor of Col. Elmer E. Ellsworth, the first Union Army officer killed in the Civil War. Some residents say things now feel as if they've come full circle -- with one of the town's young men killed while serving in the military.

When asked whether Hoyer's death has changed the community's view of the war, Doug Hatch, the assistant principal, answers this way.

	"A patriotic community"

"I think there are a lot of questions out there when it hits close to home like this -- why are we still there? Why was Bert there?" says Hatch. "There's a start to a conflict, there's so-called war, and then you have the aftermath, and there are a lot of components to it. A lot of people are like, 'Why?' You always ask yourself why. But this community is strong, and it's supportive of its troops, regardless of what the reason is."

Bert Hoyer and his unit left Ellsworth last winter, riding down streets that were lined with residents waving flags and cheering them on. A few days ago, he returned to Ellsworth in a hearse -- to streets, again lined with residents, many holding candles as a final welcome home.

"I guess my philosophy in life is, we are all put on this earth for a purpose. And if this was his purpose in life, he's fulfilled it," says Kathy Thoner. "We will never forget Bert."

Bert Hoyer's funeral takes place Thursday at 1 p.m. at the Ellsworth High School gymnasium. He'll be buried in a little country cemetery, just outside of town.

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