Vietnam combat nurse urges Milton to ‘speak the names’ at Memorial Day ceremony

The City of Milton held its Memorial Day remembrance at City Hall on May 25, 2026, opening with an invocation and closing benediction, the presentation of colors, and the reading of a city proclamation. Jenny Dornnehagen, a Vietnam combat nurse and keynote speaker, urged the community to keep alive the names and stories of those who died in service.

Reverend Chip Magner, a retired U.S. Navy captain, delivered the invocation and asked for comfort for Gold Star families and strength for those who continue to serve: “Let us remember those who gave everything,” he said. After the invocation, attendees rose for the colors, recited the pledge of allegiance, and sang the national anthem.

Nick Satrianiano, chairman of the Milton Veterans Memorial Markers Association, noted the association placed 949 markers around the community this year and thanked city officials for hosting the program. He asked three former military nurses in the audience to stand and be recognized.

Jenny Dornnehagen, introduced as a combat nurse who served at the 67th Evacuation Hospital in Vietnam and a Bronze Star recipient, recounted growing up in Gettysburg and described moments caring for wounded soldiers: “For me, it brought back the memories of Gettysburg. Of all those unnamed graves that I saw as a child, here were names and names and no graves,” she said. She described tending the wounded, singing with them and writing letters to families, and said remembrance is a duty for the living.

Dornnehagen reflected on visiting the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., and the emotional weight of reading thousands of engraved names. She framed Memorial Day as a personal and civic obligation to teach the next generation about sacrifice: “The greatest way we can honor them is to live as one nation, indivisible,” she said.

Deacon Bob Grimmaldi gave the closing benediction, sharing a story about Colonel Robert Howard’s actions in Vietnam and praying for servicemembers and their families. The ceremony closed with thanks to performers and volunteers, including bagpiper Tom Crawford and local youth organizations, and an invitation for attendees to view and photograph the memorial markers outside.

The program focused on remembrance and community recognition rather than policy or formal action. The city’s proclamation invited citizens to a downtown Crabapple ceremony and reiterated the significance of Memorial Day as a national moment of remembrance.