Another Twin Falls Resident, Vietnam Vet Laid To Rest In Buhl ID

Buhl, Idaho, made for a frozen, grey backdrop on Monday morning (February 27) as another United States military veteran was laid to rest. That veteran was my father, and the morning's burial was the final step in the process of eternal rest for an 86-year-old, Duluth, Minnesota, native and hero.

Gregory Nicholas Jannetta was born in Minnesota in 1936. He passed away days shy of his eighty-seventh birthday in the early morning hours of President's Day, February 20, at St. Luke's Magic Valley in Twin Falls, Idaho. A small number of the hospital staff were around him when he went into cardiac arrest.

Get our free mobile app

My dad had signed a do-not-resuscitate order, so this meant the end of a long life that included close to a decade of military service in the United States Air Force and U.S. Marine Corps. I am forever grateful to the St. Luke's staff for doing what they could to prolong his life.

Of the nearly nine million Americans that served in the Vietnam War in some capacity between 1964 and 1975, there are an estimated 500,000 still living today, according to americanwarlibrary.com.

Get our free mobile app

Jannetta, 86, was the recipient of a Purple Heart and was discharged from the Marine Corps following service in the Vietnam War where he was injured in combat. He flew helicopters and assisted in rescue missions of downed soldiers.

I'm very proud to call him my dad, and as far as grandparents are concerned, he certainly earned his share of respect and accolades as well. Semper fi pap.