Mortally wounded by a vehicle-based improvised explosive
device
Folks spilled from the Onawa Cafe en masse June 21, 2007, as a
funeral procession crawled along the Iowa Avenue, also known as
"The Widest Main Street in America."
Cpl. Llythaniele Fender, 21, was about to be buried at Onawa
Cemetery east of town. Five men from the Patriot Guard Riders
preceded the hearse carrying Fender's body. The space for the sixth
rider represented the lost soldier.
A teacher said the military fit Fender, a quiet and
well-mannered boy who split his high school days between West
Monona High School and a school in Colorado. The military fit
Fender, who sought to do for others what they could not achieve for
themselves.
The son of Tom and Ellen Fender died June 10 in Karbula, Iraq,
from wounds suffered from a vehicle-based improvised explosive
device.
As the remains for the 2004 West Monona High School graduate
passed through town, business people and shoppers put their hands
over their heart. Men lifted seed corn caps from their heads.
Dora Miller stood with her cafe diners and waved small flags as
the family passed by.
"We need to do this," Miller said.
Inside the cafe, she returned to work beneath a shelf upon which
stood three photos - each showing a grandchild in the military. One
grandson completed his tour in Iraq and re-enlisted. His photo
leaned near a candle that read, "Freedom…the last, best hope on
earth."
On the other side of town, Fred Wunder opened the impressive
Monona County Veterans Memorial Museum for a visitor. Names of
fallen soldiers from the county are listed prominently on the
Killed In Action monument in the middle of the facility. Eight
Monona County men died in World War I; 88 were killed in World War
II; seven lost their lives in Korea; and 10 died in action in
Vietnam.
Wunder planned to dedicate space for the current war its Onawa
casualty, Llythaniele Fender.
