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A Tribute to their Sacrifice

Honor Our Veterans

Veterans from Collin County to be Honored at Ceremony in McKinney

More than four years ago, a high school classmate asked Ronnie Foster about a mutual friend from the McKinney High School class of '66. The friend was Bill Bryan, and he and Ronnie had joined the U.S. Marines together in June 1966, two weeks after graduation. Both served in Vietnam.

Ronnie came home alive; Bill did not.

What troubled Ronnie wasn't as much that Bill had given his life for his country in January 1968, but that his sacrifice had been forgotten. With the help of friend Linda Phillips, Ronnie found the names of 20 Collin County men - 13 from McKinney - who had died fighting in Vietnam. By the spring of 2006, their list had grown to more than 300 local servicemen who fought and died for the U.S. from World War I to the war in Iraq.

On Sunday afternoon, a big step in Ronnie's campaign to construct a McKinney Veterans Memorial will take place at Craig Ranch, as veterans gather to read the names of those veterans at the future site of the memorial. One day, with the help of local donors and the City of McKinney, Ronnie and Linda's list will be permanently displayed at the memorial.

"I want Bill and every veteran to be remembered for their service," Ronnie says. "We need to get those names out there so that if anyone knows of any others who should be included on the list can contact us."

Ronnie will serve as master of ceremonies for Sunday's service, which will include speeches from Congressmen - and veterans -- Sam Johnson and Ralph Hall, and McKinney Mayor Bill Whitfield. A flyover of AT-6 aircraft in a Missing Man formation will cap off the service.

WHAT: Veteran's Memorial Service
WHEN: Sunday, Nov. 11 at 3 p.m.
WHERE: Weiskopf Avenue in Craig Ranch across from the Tournament Players Clubhouse, 8000 Collin McKinney Parkway.

For more information about the ceremony and how to donate to the McKinney Veterans Memorial Park, visit www.mckinneytexas.org.

For more information on Ronnie's work to recognize his fallen comrades in arms, go to the Collin County Freedom Fighters website. There, he has posted online tributes, a directory and - when possible - biographies and photos of the county's war dead.

And for Ronnie and Linda's work on documenting Collin County veterans who died in combat, we've posted their list below:

314 Collin County Servicemen Who Have Died in the Service of the U.S.*

World War I: 56

ADAMS, JIM
AYCOCK JOSEPH W.
BARNES, CHRISTOPHER L.
BENNETT, CHESTER
BISHOP, OSCAR H.
BRIDGES, BENJAMIN F.
BUNCH, FRANK
BURK WESLEY C.
BYLER, JOSEPH L.
CASEY, GEORGE
CLARK, GEORGE W.
CUFFMAN, ROBERT J.
CURRIN, HENRY L.
EMERSON, JOHN L.
ESTEP, JAMES V.
FERRELL, CLARENCE R.
FLOYD, JOHN W.
FRY, EARL
GANTT, JAMES R.
GEIGAS, JIMMY
GILBERT, THADIAS O.
GREER, JOHN C.
GREER, OTIS R.
GUINN, TILLMAN
HARDING, PETER J.
HENDRIX, CLARENCE E.
HINDS, CALVIN E.
JOHNSON, PORTER W.
JOHNSON, PRICE K.
JOHNSON, ROBERT B.
KEY, OSCAR C.
KINNAMON, ROBERT H.
LEWIS, JACK J.
LONG, JOHN C.
MATHERS, GEORGE S.
MATTHEWS, ROY
McCANDLESS, ALEXANDER J.
MURRAY, JAMES W.
ODELL, WILLIAM L.
PEEBLES, SIDNEY
PHILLIPS, ARTHUR L.
RUCKER, WILLIAM E. Jr.
SAMUEL, CHARLES A.
SANDERS, JASPER, R.
SELLARS, IRA M.
SMITH, HUSTON L.
SMITH, JOSEPH L.
SPARKMAN, JAMES F.
SPRINGFIELD, HENRY G.
SPRINKLE, CARL
STEIZER, ALBERT E.
THURMAN, GEORGE W.
TYLER, ROBERT L.
TIMMS, JAMES O.
WALTERS, OSCAR M.
WRIGHT, WALTER L.

World War II: 213

ABBOTT, HULETT H.
ABERNATHY, MERCER G.
ALLEN, WOODROW H.
APPLIN, ARCHIE A.
ARNOLD, JOHN C.
BAILEY, JAMES A.
BASS, LOUIS F.
BENTLY, ROBERT W.
BIRKET, NOBLE L.
BLACKBURN, EDGAR
BLAINE, ROBERT W.
BLASKE, ALBERT F.
BLUE, VERNON
BOONE, CARL W.
BOLTON, RICHARD L.
BOWERS, JACK K. JR.
BOWERS, NOLAN B.
BOWEN, LINDSAY L. JR.
BOYER, CHARLES
BRASWELL, ALBERT D.
BRASWELL, JESSE O.
BRYCE, HILTON H.
BUMPASS, JACK K. JR.
BURNETT, WILLIAM G.
BURNS, ELZIEL L.
BUSH, GIBSON E.
BUTLER, BOBBY JACK
BYNUM, DEE FOREST
CAIN, VERNON M.
CAMBRON, YANDELL
CAMPBELL WILLIAM J.
CANTRELL, Oscar L. JR.
CARAWAY, JAMES THOMAS
CARPENTER, HENRY D.
CARVER, ARTHUR B.
CARVER, JOE E. JR.
CARVER, WILLIAM A.
CHANDLER, THOMAS E.
CLAY, WILLIAM H.
CLINTON, WELDON D.
COLEMAN, ARISTOTLE D.
COMMONS, BILLY FRANK
COOPER, MARVIN R. (PETTY)
COPUS, CHARLIE W.
CORLEY, WILLIAM A.
COWLING, JAMES W (SONNY)
CRAVER, ARTHUR B.
CROSSNOE, ODIE W.
CUFFMAN, ROBERT E.
CULVER, CURTIS
CURTIS, MARVIN J.
DALTON, GEORGE
DAVIS, BENNIE N.
DECKER, BOYCE D.
DERRYBERRY, JERRAL C.
DERRYBERRY, LEE M.
DICKEN, WILLIE J. JR.
DILLION, NEVIL
DODSON, WAYNE
DONNETT, EARL JR.
DOOLEY, JAMES C.
DUNCAN, SIDNEY C.
DUNN, JAMES W.
DUVALL, STANLEY M.
EAST, AUBREY F.
EDWARDS, WILLIAM F.
ELLIOTT, JAMES H.
ESTEP, CARL J.
EUBANKS, L. J. (HOTSHOT)
EVANS, MILES E.
FIELDS, RAY E.
FOREMAN, HOWARD G.
FRENCH, JAMES P.
FURR, JIM H.
GADDY, JESSE R.
GLASS, WALTER MAX JR.
GOODNER, JIM B.
HAGUE, GEORGE F.
HALL, LOUIS W.
HAMMACK, TROY B.
HAMPTON, EDWIN W.
HARRINGTON, CHARLES E. JR.
HARTNESS, DURWOOD
HARTNESS, WELDON B.
HAYWOOD, FRANCIS R.
HEATHINGTON, TERRY
HENSLEE, RAY W.
HILL, RALPH O.
HILL, OREN R.
HOLLEY, JOE R.
HOLMES, DEE
HONAKER, BILLY
HUMPHRIES, ELMER R.
HUMPHRIES, VERNON RAY
IVES, DUDLEY R.
JACKSON, VERNON H.
JEANES, RABY L.
JOHNSON, MABRON P.
JOHNSON, STEWERT R. JR.
KAUFMAN, GENE
KELLY, JACK
KELLY, TOM
KIMBERLIN, DEWEY
KINNEY, LOWELL E.
KIRBY, JACK
KRUG, KENNETH JR.

World War II: 213 (continued)

LACY, HOWELL L. (BUD)
LAIR, JOHN C.
LAMDEN, WILLIE L.
LAWSON, HERMAN D.
LEECH, LANDRUM W.
LEWIS, VIRGIL
LINECUM, M. T. JR.
LLOYD, ELMER E.
LOVELADY, DUDLEY J.
LUCAS, VESTAL R.
LUNDY, W. C.
LUSCOMBE, FRANCIS R.
MANN, RUDD V.
MASSEY, JESSE D.
MARTIN, ROBERT O.
McCLAIN, ALFRED A.
McCLUSKY, HUGH C.
McCRARY, LLOYD R.
McCRAW, LLOYD D.
McFARLING, DOYLE J.
McGUFFEE, L. J.
McKNIGHT, THOMAS E.
McMILLAN, MARVIN L.
McNEIL, HENRY J.
MESSER, CHESTER D.
MILLER, CALVIN C.
MILLICAN, MATHER P.
MONTGOMERY, J. L.
MONTGOMERY, JAMES W.
MOODY, CHESTER E.
MORELAND, CYREL D.
MORGAN, JAMES M.
MORRISON, GEORGE W.
MORRISON, EDGAR M.
MOUNGER, A. L.
MOUSER, CALVIN H.
MYRIC, GERALD
NANCE, CLIFFORD B.
NEELY, GORDON K.
OSBURN, VAIL E.
PARRIS, HUGH, B. JR.
PARKER, HARRISON W.
PATTERSON, HAROLD J.
PEARSON, W. M.
PETTIGREW, WERDNA M.
PETWAY, ROBERT D.
POINDEXTER, A. D. (JACK)
POPE, LELAN A.
PORTER, CHARLES V.
POWELL, LEEROY J.
POWELL, R. MAYS
RAINES, VERNON R.
RAINWATER, GLENN W. (BUDDY)
RAWLINS, JOE H.
REEVES, CURTIS A.
REIDELL, GEORGE L.
REYNOLDS, DOUGLAS
RIDDLE, JAMES AMON
RIKE, THOMAS L. JR.
ROBERTS, PAT N. JR.
ROGERS, JOHNIE CARL
ROSS, RICHARD H.
RUSH, RICHARD P.
RUTHERFORD, JOHN D.
RUTHERFORD, WILLIAM E.
SCALF, W. C.
SCOTT, R. L.
SEAY, EDGAR
SHIPP, NIMROD S.
SIMPSON, JIMMIE W.
SMITH, FORD R.
SMITH, JESSE A.
SMITH, JESSE T.
SNIDER, JIM W.
STALLCUP, WELDON H.
STANDERFER, JIMMIE W.
STANDFORD, CLEO W.
STEELMAN, W. H. JR.
STEVENS, GLENN
STILES, CLEO W.
STROUP, JOHN L.
THOMAS, ALFRED E.
THOMAS, NOLAN
THOMPSON, RAYMOND
THURMAN, DUNCAN
TONEY, EMMETT B.
VAUGHN, JAMES W.
WALDRUM, CECIL C.
WALLACE, LEON H.
WALTERS, CHARLES O. JR.
WARD, ROBERT G.
WHITE, EARL
WHITE, BURNELL C.
WHITE, FLOYD E. JR.
WHITE, JUAN
WILLIAMS, DEWEY P.
WILLIAMS, RALPH S.
WILLIS, AUDDIE C.
WILLIS, WILLIE C.
WORTHAM, ALVIS W.
WRIGHT, JOE BEN
WRIGHT, JAMES T.
YEARY, EDWIN
YEAGER, HENRY M.
YOUNG, G. C. (PREACHER)
YOUNG, H. R. (BLACKIE)
YOUNGER, BOBBY JOE

Korean War: 15

ALLEY, JAMES LEE
BICKLEY, DAVID RAY
HILL, KENNETH J.
JOHNSON, MAURICE
McCLAIN, BILLY J.
MILLER, JOHNNIE E.
REIDER, JAMES K.
RHEA, BILLY J.
ROBINSON, ROBERT W.
ROSS, FORREST S. Jr.
TISHLER, ANDREW R.
TROSCLAIR, JAMES O.
VILLANUEVA, JOAQUIN
WALLS, JESSE J.
WILLIAMS, CLARENCE

Vietnam: 23

BROWN, ROBERT RAY
BRYAN, CHARLES W. "BILL"
CARAWAY, THOMAS GLENN
COMBEST, JERRY WAYNE
FRAZE, JERRY WAYNE
HALE, LANNY EARL
HARRIS, BOBBY GLENN
HOFFMAN, CHARLES EDWIN
HOLDBROOKS, THOMAS BERNARD
HUTCHINGS, STEVEN W.
HUSTON, JOE STEPHEN
JOHNSON, JOE ALAN
JONES, LAWRENCE EDWARD
JONES, JOHNNY CARROL
KING, CHARLES, LEWIS
MAHAN, DARREL ULDRIC "GEORGE"
MALONE, JAMES EDGAR
RODGERS, MARTIN LEROY
RYAN, RICHARD M.
SCOGGINS, ROYCE GLENN
STEINDAM, RUSSELL ALBERT
STRICKLAND, RONALD BOYD
WOODY, VERNON WAYNE

Somalia: 1

JOYCE, JAMES CASEY

Iraq: 6

BOATRIGHT, MICHAEL L.
BURKS, PETER H.
CRAVER, JOHNNY K.
DUCKWORTH, ERIC T.
SMITH, BRIAN DREW
TROVILLION, TYLER SETH

* List is current as of November 2007.

 

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