Honoring Service in our Community

Memorial Day weekend carries a meaning far deeper than the end of the school year or the start of summer. While many of us will gather with family and friends, enjoy barbecues, and take part in outdoor activities, I hope all of us will remember this solemn day of remembrance. Whether you attend a Memorial Day event or not, please take a moment to pause and reflect on the brave men and women who gave their lives in service to our country. Their sacrifice is the foundation upon which our daily lives are built.

In Meridian, we will gather at the Rock of Honor to remember the 63 residents from Meridian who gave their lives in service to our country. The ceremony includes the reading of the names of each service member and their branch – all of which can be found engraved at the Rock of Honor. You can find a list of the names below.

Their sacrifice is a solemn reminder that freedom is not free, and we have to work every day to keep our freedoms. Last week’s election served as an important reminder of that principle.

I want to extend my thanks to everyone who ran for office, cast a ballot, or worked at a polling location for stepping up, getting involved, and being an active participant in the important roles that make the system work. Serving does not happen by accident. It is the result of people who care enough about their community to make their voices heard. It is a responsibility that we should not take for granted.

One item that was on the ballot for most of us was the dissolution of the West Ada Recreation District (WARD). WARD was a taxing district established more than 50 years ago with the mission to build a pool to teach our children to swim and be safe around water. Since that time, Meridian grew from 2,000 residents to more than 150,000, and WARD recognized its facilities could be absorbed by the City of Meridian – something we spent the last five years doing.

The community supported the dissolution of WARD, and I want to extend a sincere thanks to its current and former board for the recreational opportunities they have provided to the families of Meridian over the years. I especially want to thank Chairman Shaun Wardle for working with the City of Meridian on this effort. The City of Meridian has been proud to take on these facilities to continue the recreational opportunities for our community. 

Whether it's honoring those who served, being an engaged voter, or making adjustments to sustain service to our growing community, it doesn’t get done without dedicated individuals serving in the community. 

Names of those remembered on the Rock of Honor:

Corporal David Marks, Army Korea

Private William Summer, Army Korea

Leland Strawn, WW II

Private Gilbert McCorkle, Army WW II

Private First-Class Jerry Williams, Army WW II

Master Sergeant Clifford Stone, USAF WW II

Sergeant Wesley Franklin, Army WW II

2nd Lieutenant Homer Baker, Army Air Corps WW II

Gunners Mate 3rd Class Morris Stewart, Navy WW II

Private First-Class Eugene Wood, Marine Corps WW II

Staff Sergeant Arvel Maples, Army WW II

Sergeant Robert Gray, Army WW II

Staff Sergeant William Erwin, Army Air Corps WW II

Specialist 4th Class Randy Bronson, Army Vietnam

Morrison Kundson Orlie Pfost, Civilian WW II

Sergeant Clinton Rippee, USAF Vietnam

Technical Sergeant Harold Marks, Army Air Corps WW II

Private First-Class Harmon Hamming, Army WW II

Private First-Class James Barker, Marine Corps WW II

Chief Petty Officer Robert Bentley, Navy WW II

Private First-Class Donald Cooper, Army WW II

Fireman 3rd Class Lynn Creech, Navy Reserves WW II

Engine man 2nd Class Robert Chesnut, Navy Vietnam

Sergeant Jermey King, Army Iraq

Sergeant Michael Norris, Army, Iraq

Sergeant Herbert Link, Army WW II

Private First-Class James Ward, Army WW II

Specialist 4th Class Floyd Savell, Army WW II

Corporal Lee Davis, Army WW I

2nd Lieutenant Roy Duerock, Army Air Corps WW II

Sergeant Wallace Atkinson, Army WW I

BTC John Gillapsy, Navy Vietnam

Private Edward Link, Army WW II

Private First Class Alvin Hashbarger, Army WW II

Private First-Class Elmer Ireland, Army WW II

1st Lieutenant Charles Cairns, Army Air Corps WW II

Private First-Class Carl Vincent, Army WW II

Private First-Class Richard Vincent, Army WW II

Private First-Class Pete Morse, Marine Corps WW II

Petty Officer Gilbert Vieselmeyer, Navy Vietnam

Private First-Class Ernest Towne, Army WW II

Private First-Class James Nelson, Army WW II

Private Samuel Louderbaugh, Army WW I

Seaman Apprentice Owen Starr, Navy Vietnam

Private First-Class Jack Wood, Marine Corps WW II

Corporal James Monroe, Army Korea

Fireman 2nd Class Walter Brenner, Navy WW II

1st Lieutenant Eugene Fowler, Army National Guard WW II

Homer Lyon, Army WW I

Donald Zinn, Navy Korea

Max Montieth, Army National Guard WW II

Civilian Wake Island John Cleland Morrison Knudson WW II

Private First Class, Willes Lamm Army WW II

Specialist First Class Thomas Murach, Army, Afghanistan 

Civilian Wake Island Forrest Packard Morrison Knudson WW II

Fireman Dale Wiley, Navy Reserves Korea

Private First-Class Calvin Skeen Army Korea

Private Lloyd Hutcheson, Army WW I

Private James Barker, Marine Corps WW II

2nd Lieutenant Charles Harnish Army     WW II

Ralph Linn, Army WW I

Airman 2nd Class David Lewis, USAF Vietnam

Private First-Class Fred Smart, Marine Corps Vietna