Local War Veteran Embodies Memorial Day Spirit

This is Memorial Day Week in the United States, a time that marks the traditional beginning of the summer season. Especially true here in coastal Delaware, that means the end of the school year, as well as the beginning of family vacation season and months of fun in the sun.

But Memorial Day is, and always should be, about honoring those who have served our country through the years and have not come home to their loves ones. Whether this be in a faraway land, or right here at home, or even on a ship in the middle of the ocean, this is a day when we remember the fallen.

Here in Sussex County, there’s perhaps no one who has done more to honor southern Delaware’s veterans, including those killed in action, that Korean War Veteran Walter Koopman.

But he doesn’t just do so on Memorial Day; he does it each and every day of the year. He never forgets one of the most commonly referenced quotes on this incredibly special day of the year in the United States – “all gave some; some gave all.”

Largely responsible for the Korean War Memorial that today adorns the northeastern corner of The Circle in Georgetown, as well as the POW/MIA plaque nearby, Koopman is the Korean War Veterans programs director and is also a co-founder of Sussex County’s Wounded Warrior Fund.

But that’s merely the tip of the iceberg when it comes to veteran’s projects Koopman’s is intimately involved with throughout the region.

Turning 81 this month (June), the U.S. Army veteran lives near Millsboro, coincidentally in a home that is currently listed and being shown by the Oldfather Group.

Read the rest of Koopman's story HERE.