More than 40 years after his death in Vietnam, a former Kansas University ROTC instructor will be honored at a ceremony next week on campus.

Platoon Sgt. Glenn E. Nicholson, a tank commander in Vietnam, was killed in 1968, and earned two Bronze Stars for Valor and two Purple Hearts.

Army Lt. Col. John Basso, professor of military science at KU, said he met with Judith Dietz, Nicholson’s daughter, on Memorial Day and planned the ceremony.

He said the ceremony would be held in front of a full battalion and would mirror a similar ceremony that would be held for a fallen soldier in Iraq or Afghanistan, and would highlight the important role of both non-commissioned officers and families.

“Our cadets who will be officers in the Army soon, some very soon, need to realize the importance of families in the military,” Basso said.

Dietz said two of Nicholson’s former commanding officers would be flying in from Maryland and California for the ceremony. She has spoken with them on the phone, but has never met them in-person.

“This is the first time I’ve ever met anybody who served with my dad in Vietnam, so it’s kind of special,” Dietz said. “I’m really kind of excited to meet the two of them.”

The ceremony is open to the public, and is scheduled for 3 p.m. Thursday at the Military Science building on the KU campus.

As part of the ceremony, a plaque and portrait of Nicholson will be installed at the building.