Iowa State Honors Four Fallen Former Students
Gold Star Hall recognizes four former students who died while serving in the U.S. military.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Awards
Iowa State University honored four former students who died while serving in the U.S. military at the annual Gold Star Hall ceremony held Monday. The committee recognized George Clarke, Russell Trenary, Richard Swift and Richard Welch.
Why it matters
The Gold Star Hall ceremony recognizes service members whose deaths occurred across several decades of military aviation. Honoring former students keeps their service connected to the university community.
The Gold Star Hall committee honored four former students, including George Clarke and Richard Welch. Seven people aboard George Clark's aircraft died when it went missing on Nov. 28, 1943.
The players
Iowa State University
A public land-grant university in Ames, Iowa, which hosts the Gold Star Hall honors for former students who died in military service.
The details
George Clark was stationed in Greenland with the First Arctic Search and Rescue Squadron before his aircraft disappeared; search crews later found the wreckage. Russell Trenary's P-47 Thunderbolt crashed near a recently liberated airfield in eastern France, while Richard Welch's aircraft crashed during takeoff from Utapao Airfield in Thailand.
Timeline
Nov. 28, 1943: George Clark's aircraft went missing during a flight.
Dec. 5, 1944: Russell Trenary took off in a P-47 Thunderbolt and crashed.
Oct. 2, 1968: Richard Welch's aircraft crashed during takeoff in Thailand.
Nov. 22, 1968: Richard Swift's O-2 aircraft crashed after a reconnaissance flight.
Monday, Nov. 9, 2026: Iowa State held the Gold Star Hall ceremony.
Season Trajectory
The Gold Star Hall program at Iowa State recognizes former students across conflicts spanning from World War II to the Vietnam War. Each annual ceremony extends that continuous record of remembrance for university alumni who died in service.
The ceremony gives Ames residents and alumni a public occasion to recognize former students who died in service. Families and community members can attend future Gold Star Hall events to honor these veterans.
The takeaway
Honoring service members from a university community keeps individual sacrifices visible across generations. Readers can seek out local memorial events to learn more about alumni who served.
Further reading
Explore more Awards recognitions across Ames.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Iowa State Daily.
