Krogman Family expresses gratitude for community support, patriotism

In the June 17, 2021 issue of Northern Wyoming News, Kelly Steindorf was quoted about the prospects of First Lieutenant Alva "Ray" Krogman's funeral services. The Air Force Academy graduate had been lost over Laos in 1967, only recently found in 2019. His family had long awaited his recovery.

"We're planning on having our own little family ceremony, but we would love to have friends and anyone else who is interested attend," said Steindorf, Krogman's niece.

Now that the services have taken place, starting with an escort from Billings Logan International Airport to Worland on July 19 and ending on July 21 with a military funeral at Riverview Memorial Gardens, Steindorf said that Ray's services were nothing like she had anticipated.

"It was so much more. All of the people coming together and showing honor to one of the fallen, embracing the whole event... It was so much more than we expected; so much patriotism, so much dedication from all of the groups," said Steindorf.

In every town from Billings to Worland on July 19, people lined the streets waving American flags and homemade banners honoring Krogman's service and sacrifice. Despite temperatures climbing well over 100 degrees, the communities stood strong to see Krogman come home.

At the visitation and service at Worland Middle School the morning of July 21, hundreds of community members, law enforcement officers, American Legion members and Patriot Guard Riders filed in to pay their respects to Ray Krogman. On the afternoon of July 21, the town of Worland was one big traffic jam as visitors made their way to Riverview Memorial Gardens to see Krogman laid to rest. An estimated 300-400 community members joined the Krogman family in honoring Ray at his burial services. Airmen from Ellsworth Air Force Base in Rapid City, South Dakota, a 21-gyb salute, and a military flyover were accompanied by the American Legion escort and Patriot Guard flagline.

"I felt like it was so amazing, and then it was over so fast," said Steindorf. "I went through several of the towns again as we were headed back to Montana and I thought, 'Oh, I wish all of the flags were still there.' There were still a few here and there, but that was so amazing; young and old alike, waving flags, honoring Ray. It was such a blessing and such an honor to share it with all the different communities, I just hope that it sticks around a little bit.

"I do think we have gained some closure. We only ever saw Ray when he was able to get home for Christmases, and I was only 6 when he passed, so we don't have a lot of memories. But being able to talk to his classmates and people who knew him was such a blessing because we got to find out not only about him, but some about my grandpa, who died when I was 2."

Steindorf said that they discovered a drawing of the constellations, previously thought to be Ray's and on display at his visitation, was actually her grandfather Marx Krogman's thanks to some help from Ray's old Boy Scout troop members. "We assumed it was Ray's because it was in with all of his things, but it didn't have his name on it. Bob [Korenke, one of Ray's friends] said, 'No, your grandpa taught us all of that, he knew it very well. We all drew the constellations to earn the badge.' That was a little piece of closure and getting to find out a little bit about Grandpa and Ray was great."

Lue Krogman, Ray's mother, was also remembered throughout Ray's services. She had long awaited the return of her son, but passed before he could be found. Steindorf said she got a chance to meet one of Lue's friends during the services, and was told that Lue believed Ray to be forgotten, that no one cared about her lost son. "I'm sure she was just blown away," Steindorf said, picturing her grandmother's reaction to Ray's services.

"The outpouring of love and honor and respect that they give to fallen soldiers is way more than we expected and it was such a blessing to be a part of that. I feel like it provided our family closure, but I'm hoping that it also provided hope to those communities that needed to see some American patriotism," said Steindorf.

She also expressed the Krogman family's gratitude to everyone involved with the services; Bryant Funeral Home, the Patriot Guard Riders, the American Legion, and the Latter-day Saints Church women, who provided salads for the reception, to name a few. "I wanted to thank each one of them individually but didn't get the chance," Steindorf said.

"My husband even said the dedication that was shown by so many individuals in Worland and Montana only confirms his commitment to calling himself a Wyomingite, even though we've lived out of state more than we've lived there," Steindorf, who now lives in California, noted. "We still think of Wyoming as home and pray for the best for all those that were a part of Ray's services."