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VMP Committee

The Veterans Memorial Park Committee is made up of veterans who have served in the United States Armed Forces, and includes representatives from the following veterans organizations:

Vet Group Emblems

Veterans of Foreign Wars, est. 1899
American Legion, est. 1919
Disabled American Veterans, est. 1920
Marine Corps League, est. 1922
Fleet Reserve Association, est. 1924
Vietnam Veterans of America, est. 1978
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, est. 2004

  • here CHAIRMAN:

    Russ Oorlog, Vietnam Veteran (Cold War Era)

    Russ served in the United States Army from 1966 to 1968, with the majority of his time being an Infantry soldier in Vietnam.

    He spent 35 years as a summer resident of the area and permanently moved here in 2009. His wife, Mary, was born and raised in Alexandria.

    Russ and Gabe Pipo first conceived the idea of a public veterans memorial for the community, which has evolved into the Veterans Memorial Park.

  • here VICE CHAIRMAN / INFORMATION MANAGER:

    Ken Voigt, Persian Gulf Veteran (Gulf War Era)

    Ken served in the United States Navy from 1981 to 2001 as an Information Systems Technician.

    After his Navy career, Ken and his wife chose to retire in Alexandria as a good location between their hometowns of Melrose, MN and Jamestown, ND.

  • here TREASURER / CPA:

    Donald C. Johnson, Vietnam Era Veteran (Cold War Era)

    Don served in the United States Army from 1968 to 1971 and was stationed in West Germany.

    He retired after working as a CPA for 37 years. Don and his wife have lived in Alexandria since 1971.

  • here SECRETARY:

    James M. (Jim) Conn, Vietnam Era Veteran (Cold War Era)

    Jim served in the United States Air Force from 1962 to 1966.

    He was born in Alexandria and graduated from Alexandria High School. He purchased a summer cabin on Lake Ida in 1997 and built a permanent home there in 2004.