In June, the Cheyenne Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center hosted the returning Veterans Memorial Service, which is expected to be given on a monthly basis. Over 250 family members, friends, and military personnel attended the ceremony. The celebration began with a welcome from Nurse Executive Sabrina Adkins followed by the National Anthem by singer Linda Pechulis, memorial prayer by Chaplain LaLa, special presentation on the privilege to serve in the military by Chaplain Doug Mikkelsen, and keynote speaker and Medical Center Director and veteran Paul Roberts who gave a touching story on a missing bayonet.
Cheyenne VA Medical Center Staff
VA staff pictured (l-r): Chaplain Douglas Mikkelsen, Chaplain Lamika (LaLa) Weiss, Nurse Executive Sabrina Adkins, Chief Chaplain Carol Carr, Medical Center Director Paul Roberts, Chaplain Program Assistant Eliana Hardy, Chaplain Allen Staley, and soloist Linda Pechulis.
Many relatives and friends attended the celebration in memory of their military loved ones who gave their life during the many conflicts or passed away recently. An Honor Roll slideshow and memorial certificate for each family member was given in honor of the 104 military personnel during the ceremony: A list of the honored military names is given on our website.
During the morning ceremony, these 52 military personnel were honored: Thomas Edward Albany (Army), Richard Ellsworth Alrich (Navy), Virginia Mae Anderson (Navy), Florentino Araguz (Navy), Donald J Archulete (Navy), Salvador John Baladez (Army), John Edward Barr (Navy), Robert Lamar Bernhardt (Marines), Andrew John Blasko (Navy), Edward Lester Bleicho (Marines), Arthur Harold Blood (Army), Marion Harry Brasier (Army), Thomas Dee Brown (Army), Henry E. Burgett (Army), Lloyd Eugene Burke (Navy), Larry Lee Cardwell (Army), Tommy Dean Carver (Army), Clyde David Cason (Navy), Everett Boyd Collins (Army), Larry Joseph Columbia (Army), Bruce H Corriveau (Air Force), Ralph Andrew Darrough (Army), Gail D Davis (Air Force), Robert Angel Deollos (Navy), George Omer Dillan (Army), Michael Cameron Dollard (Army), Eugene Joseph Dorsey (Navy), Wayne Edgar Driver (Air Force), Arno Engele (Army), Franklin IV Farrell (Army), Dennis R Fendrich (Army), Robert Larry Forsythe (Army), William Berton Fuller (Navy), Charles Howard Garey (Navy), Edward Francis Gerstenhorn (Air Force), Stephen Gene Graham (Army), James Arthur Gross, (Air Force), Richard Eugene Hankel (Army), Michael Lewis Harris (Navy), Carl Robert Hatcher (Air Force), Marion E Heath (Army), Placido Manuel Herrera (Navy), Jack Hirshi (Army), Steven Ray Hummel (Army), Douglas R Johnson (Air Force), Donald Leon Judy (Navy), Billy Don Kasney (Marines), James Edmund Kent (Army), Robert Henry Koch (Navy), Sheldon Leroy Kortgaard (Army), Vicki Diane Kroese (Army), & Bruce Martin Krug (Marines).
During the afternoon ceremony, these 52 military personnel were honored: Phillip Morley Lawson (Army), Buddy Eldon Leytham (Army), John Charles Littlefield (Army), Philip Duane Martinex (Navy), Donald A Mason (Navy), Randall Scott Mason (Air Force), Larry Frank Mathena (Army), Stanley Claude McCormick (Air Force), Timothy Arthur McCurdy (Navy), Santiago Hernandez Mediano Jr. (Army), Ernesto Clodoveo Medina (Air Force), Barry Eugene Mercer (Navy), Jack Lynn Mertz (Navy), Joe Alfred Meyers (Army), Arthur Udelle Miller (Army), William Daniel Moir (Coast Guard), Anthony John Nykun (Army), Ricco F Palmitesso (Air Force), Jimmie Leroy Peterson (Army), Richard Raymond Pye (Marines), Laurie Ann Ray (Air Force), Richard Duane Regan (Army), Reynaldo Diego Reyes (Navy), Duncan Gar Rollo (Marines), Kenneth Albert Rykowski (Navy), Harold J Santistevan (Army), Darrell Earl Schafer (Navy), Theodore Henry Schrage (Air Force), Evva Lou Schuette (Navy), Alan Leroy Seaman (Navy), Donald Wayne Shaffer (Navy), Ronald B Shriner (Marines), Eric Manning Shute (Navy), John Chester Sierocki (|Army), Charles Windorf Sinden (Army), James Leroy Slater (Air Force), Richard Harold Smith (Marines), Richard Mark Smith (Army), Joel John Speck (Army), Richard Stanley Stafford (Army), Lawrence Wade Sterling (Army), Harold Stoll (Navy), Michael Patrick Strick (Army), Richard Louis Thomas (Navy), Raul Eddie Trevino (Army), Robert Dean Whipkey (Army), Gail Everett Woodward (Army), Loren Ray Young (Navy), Manuel Zarate (Air Force), & Allen Donald Zuege (Air Force).
After the first ceremony, military honors were provided outside the Medical Center by the local American Legion Post color guard giving a 21 gun salute. Local bagpiper and retired Army MSG Marti Mace gave a sendoff to the fallen followed by the honor guard folding flags for several families of the fallen. A second ceremony on the fallen was given after the outside military honors. In conclusion, Head Chaplain Carol Carr thanked everyone for participating in the ceremony and looked forward to next month’s memorial service ceremony.