Father Vic Bieberle Accepting Sir Knight of the Year Award from Max Nutt, Master of the Arkansas District

Father Victor Bieberle was named Sir Knight of the Year for the Bienville Province of the Supreme Assembly. The Award was presented to Father Vic by Sir Knight Max Nutt, the Arkansas Master of the Supreme Assembly at our Memorial Ceremony Tuesday night, November 2, 2010. The following article is from a banquet program, Fourth Degree, where Father Vic was the guest of honor. This article  formed the basis for the award.

Father Victor Bieberle, a native of Bushton, Kansas, was born on September 27, 1925.  He attended Holy Name Catholic School near Bushton, later high school and college at the Salvatorian Seminary, St. Nazianz, Wisconsin.  After completing his philosophy and theology studies at St. Thomas Seminary in Denver, Colorado, he was ordained to the Priesthood in his home parish church in Bushton on May 21, 1951 by Bishop Mark Carroll of Wichita, Kansas.

In his first assignment at Blessed Sacrament Church in Wichita, he was asked by his Bishop to become a Chaplain in the Kansas National Guard, the 137th Infantry Regiment, 35th Division. He was commissioned a Lieutenant and continued his service in the National Guard while serving as pastor at several parishes in Kansas. He assumed full military duties as a chaplain in the U.S. Army of October 27, 1961 with the rank of Captain.

His military service lasted from April 1952 to October 1985 and included assignments to the Chaplain School, 101st  Airborne Division, Ft. Campbell, Kentucky; USMACV, Vietnam; 82 Airborne Division, Ft. Bragg, North Carolina; Dominican Republic with the 82’ 7th Infantry Division, Korea; 89th Reserve Command, Wichita, Kansas.

Father Bieberle attained the rank of Colonel during his 33 years of service. His citations and awards include the Bronze Star, Air Medal, Army Commendation with Oak Leaf Cluster, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal Oak Leaf Cluster, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, RPN Campaign Medal, and Meritorious Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster.

Farther Bieberle participated in 101 military parachute jumps, 30 with combat equipment; 5 night jumps, 1 as jumpmaster; tactical jumps which culminated airborne assault maneuvers, 8 as jumpmaster.

Following active duty, Father Bieberle returned to Kansas and served in several parishes before being granted retirement in October 1995.  Father Bieberle has been a member of the Knights of Columbus since 1952, served as the Arkansas State Chaplain from 2002-2005, and as Arkansas District Friar for the following 2 years.