For Release: May 24, 2007
Contact: J. Tucker Martin or David Clementson
Email: tucker.martin@oag.state.va.us or dclementson@oag.state.va.us
Phone: 804-786-2071
Virginia Wall of Honor Dedicated
Permanent Memorial to Virginia’s Fallen Heroes in the Global War on Terrorism
Richmond - Virginia Attorney General Bob McDonnell, joined by Governor Tim Kaine, Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling, a host of state and military dignitaries, and hundreds of family members of Virginia’s fallen, dedicated Virginia’s Wall of Honor today in honor of Virginians who have died in the Global War on Terrorism.
The dedication occurred with a 1 p.m. ceremony on the South Portico of the State Capitol. The event was highlighted by a flyover of Jefferson’s Capitol by F-18 fighter jets flown by the Oceana Naval Air Station Tomcatters, and a 21-gun salute by the Langley Air Force Base Honor Guard. Music was provided by the Fort Lee Army Band.
Speaking about today’s dedication Attorney General McDonnell noted, “A nation should be judged not only by how and why it sends its young people off to battle, but also by how it welcomes them home, and how it remembers those who sadly did not return. Today, citizens of a grateful Virginia extend their personal appreciation to the families of the 141 Virginians who have not returned from the mission upon which they were sent. We mourn their loss, but at the same time we celebrate their heroism and their duty to Commonwealth and country.”
McDonnell continued remarking, “Honoring the defenders of freedom and democracy is vitally important. My daughter and several of my lawyers safely completed tours of duty in Iraq last year. I ask all Virginians this Memorial Day to take the time to pay tribute to the men and women who left their families and friends to defend our nation, and did not return to the lives and places they loved. I thank the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, military officials, families of the fallen patriots, our corporate partners, and all those who participated in today’s event for their commitment to ensuring that Virginia pay the proper respect and gratitude to our fallen heroes.”
Today, the names of 137 Virginians are featured on the Wall of Honor, with 4 to be added after today’s event. Among them are officers and enlisted Virginians from Tazewell to Alexandria; from Virginia Beach to Covington. All branches of the Armed Services are represented, including the United States Coast Guard, with heroes from the active forces, reserves, and National Guard.
The Wall itself is 38.5 feet long. Each block frame contains 12 individual profiles. Each individual profile is 7 inches by 14 inches, and each photo is 5 inches by 7 inches. Accompanying the wall is a framed Virginia State flag, flown in Iraq by Corporal Jonathan Bowling of Martinsville. Corporal Bowling served with the United States Marine Corps Reserve, 4th Combat Engineer Battalion, 4th Marine Division. He was killed in an enemy ambush in Al-anbar Province, Iraq on January 26, 2005, and the flag was donated to the Wall of Honor by his father, Virginia State Police Master Trooper Darrell Bowling of Martinsville. In addition, a pair of boots, and a rifle with helmet on top, stands in front of a Virginia and American flag, in a traditional military tribute to the fallen.
Following a private event for the families of the fallen at the Office of the Attorney General, the Wall of Honor officially opened to the public beginning at 3 p.m. It is located in the Main Street lobby of the Office of the Attorney General, at 900 E. Main St. in Richmond. The Wall is open to the public from 9AM-5PM weekdays.
Attorney General McDonnell’s father, John F. McDonnell, retired as a Lt. Colonel in the Air Force, after serving in World War II with an 8th Air Force bomber squadron in England. Attorney General McDonnell served 21 years in the U.S. Army, both active duty and reserves, retiring as a Lt. Colonel. The Attorney General’s daughter, Jeanine, recently returned from serving a tour of duty in Iraq, as a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. She was a platoon leader, serving at the Camp Victory command center in Baghdad, Iraq, as a Signal Corps Officer.
Below is a full list of the Virginia service members commemorated on the Wall of Honor, listed chronologically by the date of their passing.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Kenneth Clodfelter |
Mechanicsville |
Petty Officer 2nd Class Timothy Saunders |
Ringgold |
Seaman James McDaniels |
Norfolk |
Johnny M. Spann, CIA |
Manassas |
Petty Officer 1st Class Neil C. Roberts |
Virginia Beach |
Operations Officer Helge Boes |
Fairfax |
Staff Sgt. Donald May |
Richmond |
Sgt. Michael Lalush |
Botetourt County |
Captain James Adamouski |
Springfield |
1st Lt. Jeffrey Kaylor |
Clifton |
Major William Watkins, III |
Danville |
Lance Cpl. David Owens, Jr. |
Winchester |
Commander Joseph Acevedo |
Virginia Beach |
Private Jason Deibler |
Coeburn |
Petty Officer 1st Class Shaun Dale |
Newport News |
Staff Sgt. Micheal Dooley |
Pulaski |
Petty Officer 1st Class Thomas E. Retzer |
Virginia Beach |
Petty Officer 1st Class David M. Tapper |
Virginia Beach |
Sgt. Major James Blankenbecler |
Alexandria |
Captain John Teal |
Mechanicsville |
1st Lt. Joshua Hurley |
Clifton Forge |
Chief Warrant Officer Sharon Swartworth |
Alexandria |
Sgt. Major Cornell Gilmore |
Stafford |
2nd Lt. Jeffrey Graham |
Stafford |
Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Gray |
Chesterfield |
Lt. Col. Robert Zangas |
Prince William County |
Spec. Frank Rivers, Jr. |
Prince William County |
Petty Officer 3rd Class Nathan B. Bruckenthal |
Herndon |
Private First Class Andrew Tuazon |
Chesapeake |
2nd Lt. Leonard Cowherd, Jr. |
Culpepper County |
Private 1st Class Michael Carey |
Prince George County |
Private 1st Class Leslie Jackson |
Richmond |
Capt. Humayun Khan |
Silver Spring |
Spec. Jeremy Dimaranan |
Virginia Beach |
Staff Sgt. Gregory Pennington |
Glade Springs |
Staff Sgt. Robert McGee |
Martinsville |
Sgt. Krisna Nachampassak |
Burke |
Staff Sgt. Craig Cherry |
Winchester |
Sgt. Bobby Beasley |
Winchester |
Lance Cpl. Tavon Hubbard |
Covington |
Staff Sgt. John Ryan Howard |
Reston |
Staff Sgt. Kristopher Shepherd |
Lynchburg |
Lance Cpl. Caleb Powers |
Northern Virginia |
1st Lt. Timothy Price |
Midlothian |
Spc. Clarence Adams |
Richmond |
1st Lt. Alexander Wetherbee |
Fairfax County |
Lance Cpl. Brian Medina |
Woodbridge |
Cpl. Bradley Arms |
Charlottesville |
Lance Cpl. Demarkus Brown |
Martinsville |
Sgt. Jack Bryant, Jr. |
Dale City |
Chief Warrant Officer Travis Grogan |
Norfolk |
Gunnery Sgt. Javier Pena |
Falls Church |
Cpl. Binh Le |
Alexandria |
Captain Mark Stubenhofer |
Springfield |
Chief Petty Officer Joel Baldwin |
Arlington |
Sgt. David Ruhren |
Stafford |
Sgt. Major Robert Odell |
Manassas |
Sgt. Nicholas Mason |
King George |
Staff Sgt. Nathaniel Nyren |
Reston |
Sgt. Jayton Patterson |
Wakefield |
Cpl. Christopher Weaver |
Fredericksburg |
Cpl. Jonathan Bowling |
Martinsville |
Lance Cpl. Darrell Schumann |
Hampton |
Lance Cpl. Karl Linn |
Chesterfield/Midlothian |
Sgt. Jesse W. Strong |
Lynchburg |
Lance Cpl. Jason Redifer |
Stuarts Draft |
Private 1st Class Lee Lewis, Jr. |
Norfolk |
Lance Cpl. Tenzin Dengkhim |
Falls Church |
Private 1st Class Pendleton Sykes, II |
Chesapeake |
Captain James Edge |
Virginia Beach |
Sgt. Tromaine Toy, Sr. |
Eastville |
Lance Cpl. Nicholas Kirven |
Richmond |
Lance Cpl. Jourdan Grez |
Richmond/Harrisonburg |
Private 1st Class Kyle Hemauer |
Manassas |
Staff Sgt. Russell Verdugo |
Alexandria |
CW4 Matthew S. Lourey |
Lorton |
Major William Downs |
Winchester |
Staff Sgt. Leroy Alexander |
Dale City |
Chief Petty Officer Jacques Fontan |
Virginia Beach |
Lt. Michael McGreevy |
Virginia Beach |
Petty Officer 1st Class Jeffrey A. Lucas |
Chesapeake |
Petty Officer 1st Class Jeffrey Taylor |
Virginia Beach |
Petty Officer 2nd Class Danny P. Dietz |
Virginia Beach |
Sgt. 1st Class Michael Russell |
Stafford |
Petty Officer 3rd Class Travis L. Youngblood |
Southampton County |
Private 1st Class Jason Scheuerman |
Lynchburg |
Sgt. Theodore Clark, Jr. |
Emporia |
1st Lt. Laura Walker |
Oakton |
Lance Cpl. Daniel Bubb |
Grottoes/Rockingham County |
Private 1st Class Dillon Jutras |
Fairfax Station |
Major Michael Martino |
Fairfax |
Staff Sgt. Jason Fegler |
Virginia Beach |
Lt. Col. Thomas Wren |
Lorton |
2nd Lt. Donald McGlothlin |
Lebanon |
Sgt. Kenith Casica |
Virginia Beach |
Cpl. Jared W. Kubasak |
Rocky Mount/Franklin County |
Cpl. George Lutz, II |
Virginia Beach |
Staff Sgt. Ayman Taha |
Vienna |
Captain Christopher Petty |
Vienna |
Cpl. Brett Lundstrom |
Stafford |
Lance Cpl. Kyle Brown |
Newport News |
Sgt. Sean Miles |
Midlothian |
Lance Cpl. Steven Phillips |
Chesapeake |
1st Lt. Almar Fitzgerald |
Richmond |
Spc. Felipe Garcia-Villareal |
Burke |
Gunnery Sgt. Justin Martone |
Bedford |
Private 1st Class Jeremy Ehle |
Richmond |
Capt. Brian Letendre |
Woodbridge |
Captain Shane Mahaffee |
Alexandria |
Cpl. Andy Anderson |
Falls Church |
Cpl. Adam Fargo |
Ruckersville |
Spec. Robert Drawl, Jr. |
Alexandria |
Chief Petty Officer Paul J. Darga |
Hampton Roads |
Cpl. Shannon Squires |
Virginia Beach |
Private 1st Class Colin Wolfe |
Manassas |
Private 1st Class Edwin Andino, Jr. |
Culpepper |
Petty Officer 2nd Class David Roddy |
Hampton |
Sgt. Brandon Asbury |
Tazewell |
Captain Shane Adcock |
Mechanicsville |
Airman 1st Class Leebenard Chavis |
Hampton |
Col. Thomas Felts, Sr. |
Sandston |
Cpl. Nicholas Rapavi |
Springfield |
Cpl. Joshua Stricklen |
Virginia Beach |
Maj. Joseph McCloud |
Alexandria |
Major Gloria Davis |
Lorton |
Spec. Eric Caldwell |
Gloucester |
Petty Officer 2nd Class Joseph D. Alomar |
Virginia Beach |
Col. Paul Kelly |
Stafford |
Staff Sgt. Darryl D. Booker |
Midlothian |
Sgt. Joshua Frazier |
Spotsylvania |
Lance Cpl. Daniel Morris |
Crimora |
Scott E. Duffman |
Virginia Beach |
Sgt. Shawn Dunkin |
Covington |
Sgt. Michael Peek |
Chesapeake |
Staff Sgt. Robert Stanley |
Spotsylvania |
Staff Sgt. Jason Arnette |
Amelia |
Sgt. Forrest D. Cauthorn |
Midlothian |
Chief Warrant Officer Dwayne L. Moore |
Williamsburg |
Staff Sgt. Christopher Kiernan |
Virginia Beach |
Private First Class Christopher E. Murphy |
Lynchburg |
Private First Class Aaron Gautier |
Hampton |
