Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
The Kosciusko County Veteran of the Month for March 2026 served in the U.S. Army in Vietnam and earned numerous medals.
Darryl McDowell, the county’s veteran service officer, presented Dr. Bryan Ciula to the county commissioners Tuesday morning as the Veteran of the Month.
Bryan was born in June 1946 in South Bend to Peter and Evelyn Ciula. He attended Washington High School before answering the call to serve his country by joining the United States Army in February 1969.
Following his enlistment, Bryan was sent to Fort Polk, La., where he completed both basic training and Advanced Individual Training. Shortly afterward, he was deployed to Vietnam and assigned to the 11th Light Infantry Brigade, 23rd Infantry Division, known as the Americal Division.
“For those of you who follow American history, the way they got their name is, came after Pearl Harbor directly. If you go back into it, they were the only American unit assigned to a group of other countries and consolidated and made Americal Division, and they carried that name all the way through,” McDowell said.
During Bryan’s service in Vietnam, he carried out his duties with courage and dedication.
After returning from Vietnam, Bryan was assigned to Delta Troop, 3rd Squadron, 1st Cavalry, 1st Armored Division at Fort Hood, Texas. His primary responsibility was to retrain returning infantrymen and prepare them for further service in Vietnam.
Bryan was honorably discharged from the United States Army in 1971 with the rank of specialist (E-4). McDowell said Bryan’s distinguished service earned him numerous honors, including the Bronze Star Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal with two Bronze Stars, the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal and the Combat Infantryman Badge.
After proudly serving his country, Bryan returned to Indiana briefly and then to Illinois, where he continued his pursuit of education. He earned his Ph.D from Southern Illinois University, demonstrating the same dedication to academic excellence he had shown in military service, McDowell said.
Shortly thereafter, Bryan accepted a position with the Bowen Center, working in their psychology department. He and his wife, Peggy, then moved to Kosciusko County to begin a new chapter in their lives.
Bryan married Peggy Ann Jeffers in June 1972. Together, they raised three children: Carrie, Jeffrey and Jonathan.
Throughout his life, Bryan has continued to serve his community with the same commitment he showed in uniform, McDowell stated. Bryan has devoted his time, energy and resources to Sacred Heart Church and the Veterans of Foreign Wars, supporting fellow veterans and strengthening his local community.
“Bryan’s life reflects a legacy of service, faith, family and dedication to others,” McDowell stated.
He presented Bryan with the Vietnam War 50th commemoration book “A Time to Honor,” saying, “Kind of letting people understand that 1975 was the official end, and we’re still past the 50th year mark, but this kind of a small presentation is saying, ‘Welcome Home.’ The thing that you didn’t get necessarily when you came back.”
Bryan said, “It’s true.”
McDowell also presented Bryan with a signed certificate from the county commissioners.
Asked if there was anything he wanted to say, Bryan declined except to say thanks.
