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Those who gave their lives in Vietnam have been called the “Heroes of Peace.” Art Nabben was a Hero of Peace.</p>
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<em>Arthur S. Nabben</em> was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on 17 March 1947, the son of Mr. Marvin and Mrs. E. Rose Nabben. He grew up loving the outdoors, especially skiing and camping. His love of the outdoors naturally led him to scouting, in which he excelled. In addition to being an Eagle Scout and a member of the Order of the Arrow, Art was given the “Pro Deo et Patria” award from the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, the highest scouting award given by the Lutheran Church. He was a member of the staff of his Scout reservation camp, part of the Viking Council’s Emergency Corps, chairman of the Explorer’s District Cabinet, and a participant in Scouting’s Presidential Report to the Nation.</p>
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Art attended Roosevelt High School in Minneapolis, graduating in 1965. He was an outstanding student and a member of the National Honor Society. He served on the school Executive Board, was a member of the Speech Team and the Debate Team, was active in the Ski Club and in the German Club. Not surprisingly, Art won the Kiwanis Award at graduation.</p>
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Religion also played a strong part in Art’s life. An active member of the Lutheran Church, he attended church every Sunday and became a close friend of his pastor. Even as a young man he tithed, giving ten percent of everything he earned to his church.</p>
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People choose West Point for various reasons. For some it’s a commitment to lifetime military service. For others it is merely the quality of the education. For Art, it was patriotism, plain and simple. Art loved his country and all that it stood for. The West Point experience, regardless of how difficult it would be, was something to prepare him to serve. And military service, regardless of its risks, was something a patriot should do. One day while home on leave, Art was confronted by a woman who was highly critical of the military, not an uncommon occurrence in the days of our early service. Politely, Art replied, “You are fortunate that you live in a country where you can express your opinions as you see fit and where you have the freedom to do as you wish. There are countries where people don’t have those rights and freedoms. As long as there is freedom to be protected, I will wear the uniform.” Those of us who knew Art, know that he was sincere. He was a patriot and a gentleman, and he believed in his country.</p>
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The West Point academic rigors were no challenge for Art and he quickly sought out his favorite activities to help round out his cadet career. He was a dedicated member of the Cadet Dialectic Society and the Scoutmaster’s Council for all four years. He was active in the Ski Club and the German Club, and even took karate lessons. We saw his creative abilities when he produced an outstanding <em>100th Night Show</em>. Even with all those activities, Art finished in the top 20 percent of the class in general order of merit.</p>
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But it wasn’t entirely a breeze for Art. He had his bouts with the Tactical Department. Yet his indomitable spirit kept him coming back day after day, week after week, solidly intent on preparing himself for a lifetime of service. He was not to be denied, and we all grew to respect the courage of his convictions.</p>
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Ours was a company of cadets that was known more for its brawn than its brains. Many of us struggled to keep our heads above water, and it was Art who kept saying to us all, “Keep going, you can do it.” On more than one occasion, he could be found helping a classmate understand some difficult academic principle. When not involved in academics or his extracurricular activities, he could be found pursuing his love of debate. Art would debate anything with anyone. From “planned parenthood” to “infantry tactics,” Art could get you going. In retrospect, this was probably his way of providing us with some sorely needed intellectual stimulation.</p>
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Art chose Armor for his branch of service, and completed Airborne and Ranger schools after graduation. Not long after the Armor Basic Course, he found himself serving in an armored cavalry unit in the 25th Infantry Division, Republic of Vietnam. On 20 January 1971, Art’s platoon was ambushed while on patrol. In the ensuing fire fight, his unit began taking casualties, and Art was killed while rescuing one of his men. He was posthumously awarded the Silver Star for his gallantry.</p>
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Arthur S. Nabben was a Hero of Peace in the truest sense. He lived in dedicated pursuit of service to his country, and he made his country’s ultimate sacrifice. Peace, not war, was what he was working to achieve. It was William Shakespeare who said,</p>
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“There is a kind of character in thy life,<br />
that to the observer doth thy history fully unfold.”</p>
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Godspeed, Noble Classmate. We miss you.</p>
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<em>His classmates</em></p>