Wyoming Almanac and History of Wyoming

In World War I, Wyomingites who died in action numbered 468 of the 12,000 who served. During World War II, 1,095 Wyomingites died in combat or from war-related injuries. Some 35,000 men and women from Wyoming served in the war.

Vietnam War, 1965-75

(by year of death, with branch of service and hometown at the time of entering service)

1965

Carlton J. Holland. Casper, Army

Robert W. Grove, Casper, USMC

David G. Lucas, Rawlins, USMC

Alma J. Stumpp, Afton, USMC

Ernest E. Taylor, Kaycee, Army

1966

Robert F. Guthrie, Cheyenne, Navy

Craig S. Blackner, Lyman, USAF

Samuel L. Dellos, Worland, Army

Barry A. Hansen, Evanston, USMC

Gary E. Bartz, Cody, Army

Leonard D. May, Medicine Bow, Army

Philip O. Robinson, Sheridan, Navy

Michael R. Beck, Cheyenne, USMC

Weldon D. Moss, Ethete, USMC

Gilbert B. Bush, Laramie, Army

Douglas T. Patrick, Casper, Army

Robert L. Shuck, Newcastle, Army

James F. Barnes, Laramie, Army

1967

Curtis T. Ando, Powell, USMC

Norman L. Moore, Riverton, USMC

Alva R. Krogman, Worland, USAF

Pablo Patino, Powell, Army

Joseph L. Hart, Afton, USAF

Jerry D. Byers, Casper, Army

Dennis W. Smith, Basin, Army

Larry L. Warnock, Buffalo, Amry

Daniel R. Laird, Wheatland, USMC

George R. Harrison, Clearmont, Army

Raymond E. Benson, Glendo, Army

Walter Washut, Jr., Sheridan, USMC

William B. Esslinger, Cheyenne, USMC

Harold L. Gibson, Greybull, Army

Timothy J. Saunders, Jackson, Army

Kenneth L. Brown, Sheridan, Army

William B. Graves, Douglas, Army

Bruce A. Jensen, Green River, USAF

Lawrence D. Torrez, Cheyenne, USMC

Robert R. Rogers, Gillette, USMC

Merrell J. Clayburn, Jackson, Army

Terrance H. Larson, Cody, Army

Pedro R. Montanez, Lovell, Army

Douglas E. Rogers, Green River, USMC

1968

Orville D. Cooley, Range, Navy

Edward McNally, Jr., Cheyenne, Army

Stephen W. Stark, Rock Springs, Navy

William D. Selders, Cody, USMC

Dennis D. King, Green River, USMC

Elmer D. Lauck, Torrington, Army

Walter E. Handy, Casper, Army

Leslie J. Lantos, Ten Sleep, Army

Richard S. Brown, Laramie, Army

Frank M. Darling, Cheyenne, USMC

James E. Pantier, Laramie, USMC

Charles W. Reberg, Casper, Army

Vernon W. Nix III, Casper, Army

Richard L. Endicott, Casper, Army

Richard M. Martin, Encampment, Army

Allen L. Faler, Riverton, Army

Joseph A. Padilla, Cheyenne, Army

Gary D. Fox, Sheridan, Army

Kenneth W. King, Sheridan, Army

Robert E. Barnes, Casper, Army

Terry L. Fetzer, Cody, Army

Edward R. Braun, Cheyenne, Army

Charles S. Roy, Rock Springs, Navy

Richard P. Cazin, Evanston, Army

Bennett E. Evans, Green River, Army

Edward L. Lawton, Thermopolis, Army

Elton G. Anderson, Lovell, USMC

Dale W. Johnson, Auburn, Army

Donald L. Ford, Sheridan, Army

William J. McAtee, Hanna, Army

Henry E. Maul, Worland, Army

1969

Dennis B. Farris, Cheyenne, Army

Victor R. Landes, Cowley, Army

Donald B. Schroeder, Clearmont, Army

Richard J. Sweeney, Casper, Army

Edward B. Steele, Douglas, Army

John W. Koberlin II, Cheyenne, Army

James L. Barton, Greybull, USMC

Candelario P. Bustos, Rock Springs, USMC

Leroy R. Cardenas, Casper, Army

Joseph B. Walker, Lovell, Army

John W. Aldrich, Sheridan, Army

Lonnie A. Dykes, Buffalo, USMC

William M. Wilson, Boulder, Army

Robert F. Maurer, Green River, Army

Dennis R. Wartchow, Jackson, Army

Richard P. Powers, Powell, Army

Lester McCabe, Fort Laramie, Army

Larry R. Owens, Lusk, Navy

Craig T. Marrington, Gillette, Army

Albert O. Wayman, Jr., Evanston, Army

Steven Boal, Upton, Army

Richard T. Kastner, Casper, Army

Walis W. Garst, Weston, Army

Robert E. Romero, Rock Springs, Army

1970

Roger L. Scott, Powell, Army

Edward C. Haggerty, Riverton, USMC

William T. McCormick, Thermopolis, Army

Ernest C. Balland, Cheyenne, Army

Roy J. Snyder, Fort Washakie, Army

Joe W. Green, Buffalo, Army

Ronald R. Stewart, Glenrock, Army

Robert G. Crichton, Burlington, Army

Donald W. Chipp, Jr., Rock Springs, Army

1971

Thomas W. Skiles, Buffalo, Army

Richard E. Tabor, Cheyenne, Army

John A. Cukale, Jr., Rock Springs, Army

Earl E. McCarty, Meeteetse, Army

Benjamin E. Slagowski, Evanston, Army

Gary J. Fuqua, Cody, Army

Randall J. Glasspoole, Riverton, Army

Robert L. Morganflash, Moorcroft, Army

Stephen E. Slocum, Thermopolis, Army

Emil M. Miltnovich, Rock Springs, Army

1972-75

Dennis C. Cressey, Cheyenne, USAF

Harry B. Coen, Riverton, Army

Lawrence G. Evert, Cody, USAF

Korean War, July 16, 1950-Dec. 31, 1953

(all are U. S. Army unless otherwise indicated and alphabetical by last name, with county of residence or hometown if known)

Samuel L. Wolfe, Big Horn

Allen Anderson, Sheridan

Clifford E. Baker, Big Horn

Ted U. Barnes, Goshen

Kenneth R. Barnhill, Platte

Neil B. Baxter, Sheridan

Malcolm Lloyd Budd, USMC, Big Piney

Leonard W. Clark, Sweetwater

James E. Clay, AF, Laramie

Ray P. Cowdin, Carbon

Courtenay C. Davis, Laramie

Donald L. Dewees, Albany

Paul R. Diana, USMC, Newcastle

Anthony Domingo Duram, USMC, 

   Powell

Bill Elsom, AF, Cheyenne

Robert A. Finch, Fremont

Kenneth Finlayson, Fremont

Richard Friedlund, Washakie

Fred N. Garcia, Washakie

Joseph G. Garcia, Carbon

John N. Green, Sweetwater

Edward W. Harper, Sheridan

Thomas R. Harris, Sweetwater

Robert Hessenflow, Natrona

*Donald G. Hill, Fremont 

Geroge B. Hittner, Carbon

John David Hoke, AF, Cheyenne

**John Lucius Horn, AF, Cheyenne 

Roselio Jaramillo, Campbell

Kenneth C. Johnson, Fremont

James L. Jones, Park

Demaret Kirtley, Johnson

David N. Kuiper, Sheridan

Edgar J. Larson, Fremont

Robert I. Lewis, Sr., Park

Raymond J. Lieb, Platte

Charles E. Lunbeck, Sublette

Clinton McLaughlin, Uinta

Thomas Mitchelson, Sweetwater

Philip Patrick Neary, USMC, 

   Lance Creek

Camerino Perea, Albany

Clifford F. Pratt, AF, Cheyenne

Charles E. Robb, Campbell

Lloyd G. Rogers, Laramie

Robert L. Roszek, Carbon

Helmar O. Rusth, Park

Russell Everett Smith, USMC, Bosler

William Sonnamaker, Sheridan

John A. Swanson, AF, Torrington

Ervin John Taylor, USMC, Laramie

Maynard M. Thompson, Washakie

Clark M. Tilton, Sheridan

Edward E. Toner, Sweetwater

Darold D. Urbanski, Park

Pablo J. Vigil, Sweetwater

Freeman Wadsworth, Laramie

Elmer L. Wells, Crook

Leland Henry Wolf, AF, Cheyenne

List courtesy of Wyoming State Archives, State Parks and Cultural Resources Dept.

* Hill was the first Wyoming soldier killed in Korea, July 11, 1950.

** Horn was the last Wyomingite killed in Korea, Dec. 31, 1953

June 2, 2010

Memorial Day Address,

Lusk, Wyoming, May 31, 2010

Thank you for the kind introduction.

Also, before I begin my formal address, I'd like to thank the American Legion and VFW of Lusk for inviting me here today to give the Memorial Day address. It is especially meaningful for me, a native of Lusk, because my late father was a veteran from here who served in the South Pacific during World War II and several of my uncles also served, two of them from Lusk, in that war. As for myself, I'm a Marine Corps veteran although I never got beyond the coast of California during my service. Even though I was nowhere near a war zone, the experience had a considerable impact on my life. My thanks again for inviting me here to be part of this ceremony today.

On this day, we honor those who served.

We remember those who died defending freedom on the battlefields of Antietam, the Argonne forest, Normandy, Saipan, and North Africa.

On this day, we salute those who answered the country's call to fight our nations wars on the far-off islands of the South Pacific, in the fields of Europe, on the frozen hills of Korea, in the jungles of Southeast Asia, and the deserts of the Middle East.

And, on this day, we thank those who cared for soldiers and sailors who suffered from the ravages of warthose who served on hospital ships, in VA medical wards, and in homes throughout the nation who cared for wounded servicemen and women and kept our nations promise to care for them as they cared for our country.

And on this day, we are reminded that keeping our democracy comes with a pricethat some wars must be fought to protect democracy and combat tyranny.

Yet, we also know that over the past two centuries, we, as a nation, have had our lapses. We've been misled into foreign adventures that continue to be costly in blood and treasure. Democracy cannot be imposed by military forcethat while we may be capable of freeing people from tyranny, we can't impose the concepts of rule of law and democracy on those who won't also fight for it for themselves.

Puritan leader John Winthrop, approaching the American coast those many centuries ago, stated how we ought to be that shining city on a hill-- as a country centuries later, that would demonstrate our democratic traditions and adherence to the rule of law and human rights. We must always consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill-- they eyes of all people are upon us.

That shining city served as an example for people everywhere. It wasn't the TV sets, Wall Street fortunes, or rumors of streets paved in gold that made us that shining city bringing people here from all over the world. It was from those concepts we put into practice--majority rule and minority rights; equal justice; equality of opportunity; and revolutionary human rights concepts of habeas corpus and presumption of innocencethose principles to which others everywhere aspire.

And, of course, we foster human dignity and democracy around the world only when we practice those principles at home--when we restore the protections guaranteed by the Constitution and that we, once again, are the shining city to which other people aspire to emulate. We must, once again, resolve to return to being the shining city on the hill.

Even in those rare times when our country followed falsely into conflict, it doesn't take away from the sacrifices of those who fought and died. These sorrowful incidents remind us to renew the tenets of the Constitution that make us the shining city on the hill. We must not compound the mistakes of war, foolishly entered into by curtailing the rights the Constitution, always has guaranteed.

On this day, we honor those who served in all wars.

So on this day, while we honor those who served, we remind those who represent us to walk the hallowed rows of crosses in military cemeteries (and many of the graves marked by flags in our cemetery here) and walk the halls of the veterans hospitals and see the effects of war remain indelibly imprinted on millions of families. We ask our leaders to read the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and note the protections for all people and understand that it is through upholding those principles that we remain the shining city on the hill, admired by the world. Above all, they need to remember that war must never be viewed as the easy way to solve disputes and protect our nation.

On this day, we remember those who died for our country and those who suffered in its service. From their sacrifices, day to day, we are reminded of what they fought forthe American constitution and the values it protects--equal justice, due process, presumption of innocence, compassion for all of our fellow citizens.

On this day, we honor all of those who served.