A Perryville, Missouri, native was one of six veterans recently inducted into Missouri Veterans Hall of Fame's class of 2021.

Jim Eddleman, one of Missouri's National Veterans Memorial's founding members and largest donors, was inducted into the hall of fame for his service in the Vietnam War and his continued contributions to Missouri veterans' communities.

Eddleman's service began with the U.S. Army in 1966 where he fought in the Tet Offensive. As he transported the severely wounded to Medevac helicopters and worked to save lives, he promised himself to find a way to honor his comrades.

The promise he made as a 20-year-old soldier came to fruition nearly 50 years later. Eddleman and his family donated much of their savings and 47 acres of their 48-acre farm to build Missouri's National Veterans Memorial in Perryville.

Missouri's National Veterans Memorial opened in May 2019, featuring a full-sized replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., along with a welcome center and museum.

The farm had been in Eddleman's family for three generations. He and his wife, Charlene, live in a house on the one acre they kept.

Eddleman serves on the memorial's board and volunteers at locales throughout Perry County.

For his work, the Missouri Veterans Hall of Fame recognized Eddleman at a ceremony held at the Missouri State Capitol late last month.

Friends and family stood in attendance as state Rep. Wayne Wallingford, R-Cape Girardeau, served as master of ceremonies. Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe presented Eddleman with a plaque, and state Reps. Rick Francis and Dale Wright presented Eddleman a House Resolution in his honor. The representatives also presented a Senate Resolution on behalf of state Sen. Holly Rehder, who was unable to attend.

Reps. Francis, R-Perryville, and Wright, R-Farmington, congratulated Eddleman for his distinguished service in a news release.

"It was an honor and a privilege to be present as Mr. Eddleman received this great recognition," Francis and Wright stated in the release. "His service to our country, and his love for his community and our veterans is an example of what it truly means to honor our men and women in service, and what it means to be a proud American."

Eddleman was one of six people nominated for the 2021 class.

Late Charleston native John G. "Jack" Waggener was inducted posthumously. Waggener, 91, died in 2017 at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau after a brief illness. His service spanned from 1948 to 1976 as a combat veteran in both the Korean and Vietnam conflicts.

In addition to Eddleman and Waggener, the 2021 class inductees are: John A. Gordon of Columbia, Velma Bippen Jesse of St. Louis, William Miller Sr. of Washington and James Tatum of Anderson.