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Local Fallen Soldiers Recognized with Sign Unveiling:Updated With Video

By Greg Bebermeyer

05/21/2013

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( KMZA )--Highway signs honoring two Marysville area soldiers killed in Vietnam more than four decades ago were unveiled Monday during a ceremony at the Marysville City Hall.

The signs will designate a bridge on U.S. 77 south of Marysville as the “Specialist 4 Michael T. Martin Memorial Bridge”, and a bridge west of Marysville on U.S. 36 as the “Sgt. Joseph A. Zutterman Jr. Memorial Bridge”.

Early in 2011, Marysville City Councilman Tim Ackerman approached State Representative Sharon Schwartz about naming two Marshall County bridges in honor of the two men. During the 2012 legislative session, a bill to name the bridges was introduced by Schwartz, passed by the Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Sam Brownback on May 17, 2012.

Sgt. Zutterman, a member of the U.S. Marine Corp, was killed April 20, 1968 at the age of 23 in South Vietnam. He was a gunner aboard a helicopter engaged in a search-and-destroy mission. The chopper was hit by hostile fire while on its first rocket run and crashed, killing him and two fellow crew members.

Specialist Martin, a 20-year-old native Kansan, was reported missing on Nov. 22, 1970 after he had gone swimming with a friend. A military investigation followed and 15 days later his body was recovered. He was buried on Dec. 15, 1970, in Hanover.

Both families worked with the community to raise the money needed to produce the two signs that were installed on each of the bridges following Monday’s ceremony.

To view the video of the ceremony, go here.