(Atlantic) On September 1, 1971, 20-year-old Captain Larry Kluever, a graduate of Atlantic High School, was piloting a helicopter on a mission in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War when Captain Kluever and a co-Pilot were killed. He was one of three members of his family serving in Vietnam at the time, alongside his brother, Captain Kent Kluever, and his father, Colonel Jack Kluever.
Captain Kluever is the nephew of Nancy Zellmer of Atlantic and a first cousin to Alan Zellmer, a crop and livestock farmer west of Atlantic.
Alan was in grade school and remembers the last time he saw his first cousin. Kluever was on leave when he spent the day with the family and even took Alan for a ride in his brand-new Army green Chrysler Challenger.
The story begins with the announcement that the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall—including The Wall That Heals and the Moving Wall—will stop in Manning this summer. For Alan Zellmer, the wall carries a personal connection: The engraved names on the Traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall include the names of over 58,000 individuals who served in the Vietnam War and lost their lives.
Alan says when he learned of the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall, he inquired about how he and his family could become involved in honor of his first cousin, Captain Larry Kluever.
What makes this story unique is that just last week, out of the blue, former Army aviator Brad Stockwell of Phoenix, Arizona, unexpectedly called Nancy Zellmer. Stockwell flew the Huey—the iconic utility helicopter of the Vietnam War, used for troop transport, medevac, and gunship missions, with more than 7,000 deployed during the conflict.
Stockwell was called in to bring back the bodies of the two men killed in the crash; one of the fallen Pilots was Captain Larry Kluever.
A member of the 1st Cavalry Division, Stockwell expressed his desire to return and visit Captain Kluever’s gravesite.
So, Brad Stockwell set out to find out the names of the fallen Pilots. He conducted extensive research, found their profile, and learned that Captain Larry Kluever is buried at the Atlantic Cemetery. Stockwell narrowed down the names, found someone who knew where Nancy Zellmer lived, and made the call. He explained to her he was one of the crew members called in to bring back the bodies of the two men killed in the crash, one of the fallen soldiers.
On Thursday, April 16, Brad Stockwell, along with Nancy Zellmer, Alan, and his wife Brenda Zellmer, and a few members of their family, visited Captain Larry’s Kluever’s gravesite.
Thank you for your service, Captain Larry Kluever. You will always be remembered by your family for generations to come, and the man who brought you back, former Army Aviator Brad Stockwell.
