09/06/2026
Speakers at Opening Ceremony Sept. 10 at 11 a.m.:
Jimmy Schermerhorn
Jimmy Schermerhorn of Nashville, TN., grew up in Excelsior Springs, graduating from ESHS in 1965. He was a U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman from 1968-1978, continuing to serve honorably following his service in Vietnam. Currently, he is Backstage Artist Coordinator at the Grand Ol’ Opry in Nashville, TN. He was the longtime emcee on the General Jackson showboat. Before his entertainment career, he was a medical equipment repair technician and instructor at AMSCO for 23 years. In 2024, he was recognized for outstanding service to Tennessee, his adopted state, when the governor awarded him the state’s highest civilian honor, the Colonel Aide de Camp award.
Richard “Doc” Russo
“Doc” Russo chairs The Vietnam and All Veterans of Brevard in Brevard County, FL., and has been The Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall manager since 2016. He is on the road with The Wall from April to November. The Albany, N.Y., native majored in electrical maintenance and construction at Hudson Valley College, then enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He was a Hospital Corpsman for Navel Special Warfare Units and for the 3rd Marine Division until 1990, when he was discharged honorably as a HM2/Petty Officer 2nd Class. He earned numerous medals and awards while serving in Panama, Granada, Lebanon and during the first Gulf War. He also oversees the Veterans Transitional Facility and serves on the committee for the annual Florida Veterans Reunion, the country’s longest running Veterans Reunion of its kind.
The Rev. Dr. Ed “Doc” Golden
“Doc” Golden is chaplain for Vietnam Veterans of America, Heart of America Chapter 317, following a long career serving veterans and others. A Vietnam combat veteran, he was a petty officer in the U.S. Navy for 10 years. Now retired from the Blue Springs Police Department and Central Jackson County Fire Protection District, he serves on foundations dedicated to assisting homeless veterans, those in addiction recovery or in hospice care. He has received many awards and citations for his life of service to veterans. A woodworking hobby has enabled him to provide children’s furniture to needy families and institutions. He has provided many scholarships to encourage youths to further their education. An ordained Unity minister, he holds a master’s degree in counseling psychology and a doctorate in clinical psychology.