The casket of Ulysses “Butch” Black Sr. is placed in the back of a 1939 Indiana truck he rebuilt.
Zach Spicer | The Tribune
Twelve Vietnam veterans from Indiana out of more than 500 veterans from across the country will be inducted into the Vietnam Memorial Fund’s In Memory program in 2023, including a Columbus native.
Since the Vietnam War ended, thousands of Vietnam veterans have suffered due to Agent Orange exposure, post-traumatic stress disorder and other illnesses as a result of their service.
The In Memory program enables the families and friends of those who came home and later died the opportunity to have them be forever memorialized.
Ulysses Albert Black Sr. of Seymour will be inducted into the program along with 11 other Indiana veterans.
Black, also known as “Butch,” was born Feb. 12, 1948, in Columbus to Ulysses Grant Black and Cora Louise Black.
Butch joined the Army on Feb. 26, 1968, when he was 20 years old as a helicopter/tank mechanic. He would serve in Vietnam from July 1970 to February 1971.
After his service, Butch lived in Seymour and had two children with his wife, Nancy Anderson, before her passing in 1983.
Butch then married Mona Shoultz, who brought three children into the marriage.
Butch spent much of his life on the road for a living driving a semi for many years and owning a trucking company, B&M Trucking in Freetown.
After his retirement and in his spare time, Butch would ride motorcycles and restore vintage vehicles. He restored a 1939 Indiana truck that carried him to his final resting place at Riverview Cemetery in Seymour in January 2021.
Butch was a member of American Legion Post 89, American Legion Riders, which he started in 2010, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1925, ABATE Region 7, Seymour Area Cruisers and Harley Owners Group.
According to his remembrance page on the Vietnam Veteran Memorial Fund’s website, he took a lot of pride in his work by entering his vintage cars and trucks in car shows.
Due to exposure of Agent Orange, he suffered from medical issues for many years.
Since 2002, Butch dealt with the effects of Agent Orange, including fighting liver disease for five years.
Butch passed away at the age of 72 on Jan. 12, 2021, due to medical problems caused by exposure to Agent Orange. He died at his Seymour home surrounded by family.
On June 17, VVMF will host the 2023 In Memory program ceremony on the East Knoll of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, where each 2023 honoree’s names will be read aloud. This year, 587 service members will be honored during the ceremony.
“For many Vietnam veterans, coming home from Vietnam was just the beginning of a whole new fight,” said Jim Knotts, president and CEO of VVMF.
“Many never fully recovered, either physically or emotionally, from their experiences,” he said. “As these veterans pass, it is our duty and solemn promise to welcome them home to the place that our nation has set aside to remember our Vietnam veterans.”
The plaque that honors these veterans was dedicated as part of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial site in 2004.
It reads, “In memory of the men and women who served in the Vietnam War and later died as a result of their service. We honor and remember their sacrifice.”
Butch’s photo and other Vietnam veterans from Indiana will be displayed when the mobile replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, The Wall That Heals, comes to Jackson County in August.
