Graduate War Memorial

This monolith of simple beauty contains the names of graduates of the Air Force Academy who have given their lives in combat

The War Memorial contains the names of U.S. Air Force Academy graduates killed as a result of hostile action during a state of military conflict. The idea of the War Memorial was conceived by Capt. Richard T. Mathews, '60, the first alumni secretary, who died April 8, 1967, before seeing the memorial completed.

Fund-raising efforts among graduates and parents of graduates began in May 1968, and construction of the $24,000 memorial commenced in the spring of 1970. Monument Services Company of Vermont was the manufacturer. On Oct. 10, 1970, during homecoming, the Association of Graduates presented the War Memorial to the Air Force Academy Cadet Wing.

The War Memorial stands on the terrazzo on the north end of the air gardens and faces the American flag, for which those deceased graduates listed on the memorial died.

The memorial is a striking curved monolith constructed of three slabs of black starlite granite. The inscription "In memory of our fellow graduates who have fallen in battle..." is a simple but eloquent statement of criteria for a name to be included on the memorial. The actual determination of those graduates who are remembered on the War Memorial follows the circumstances listed below:

  1. Graduates killed in direct hostile action.
  2. Graduates killed within an area of conflict as the result of an incident which is in direct support of the activities therein.
  3. Graduates killed outside an area of conflict while directly supporting the activities within that area of conflict will be considered on an individual basis by the AOG Board of Directors.

At the dedication ceremony in 1970, Brig. Gen. Robin Olds, commandant of cadets, brought the essence of the memorial forcefully home with the following words:

"This monolith of simple beauty contains the names of graduates of the Air Force Academy who have given their lives in combat. Each was a gallant man, devoted to his country and proud of his heritage. Each died bravely, as one's country sometimes calls upon her sons to do. Remember these names. Honor them. They are a part of you, the wing. They represent your past, as you today represent our future. Reflect on their example of selfless devotion to duty, and gain courage so that when you face your test you may add honor and glory to the annals of the wing - and of the Air Force - and of our country."

Graduate War Memorial Names

Halbower, Harlow Kenneth (Class of 1959)
Davis, William Sheldon (Class of 1959)
Derrickson, Thomas Gardner (Class of 1959)
Oberdier, Lyn Douglas (Class of 1959)
Bourque, Valmore William (Class of 1960)
Hyde, Michael Lewis (Class of 1960)
Waters, Samuel Edwin (Class of 1960)
Mills, James Dale (Class of 1960)
Davis, Robert Charles (Class of 1960)
Morton, James Edward (Class of 1960)
Waugh, Grant Reed (Class of 1960)
Sanders, Thomas Andrew (Class of 1961)
Dixon, Lee Chris (Class of 1961)
Walker, Thomas Tyler (Class of 1961)
Stackhouse, John Ernest (Class of 1961)
Moorberg, Monte Larue (Class of 1961)
Apodaca, Victor Joe (Class of 1961)
Morgan, Burke Henderson (Class of 1961)
Koonce, Terry Treloar (Class of 1961)
Bull, Robert George (Class of 1961)
Watson, Donald David (Class of 1962)
Carn, Robert Marion (Class of 1962)
Hauschildt, John Charles (Class of 1962)
Griffey, Terrence Hastings (Class of 1962)
Franco, Charles Stephen (Class of 1962)
Baker, Samuel James (Class of 1962)
Wilson, Gordon Scott (Class of 1962)
Moore, Charles Larry (Class of 1962)
Hornaday, Ralph Jefferson (Class of 1962)
Brinkman, James Martin (Class of 1962)
Martin, Harreld Pirtie (Class of 1962)
Griffin, Charles Farrell (Class of 1962)
Brucher, John Martin (Class of 1962)
Carroll, John Leonard (Class of 1962)
Wax, David Joel (Class of 1963)
Adams, Lee Aaron (Class of 1963)
Ralston, Frank Delzell (Class of 1963)
Wynne, Patrick Edward (Class of 1963)
Skoro, John Peter (Class of 1963)
Knudsen, Harold Eugene (Class of 1963)
Gilchrist, Robert Michael (Class of 1963)
Goodman, James Donald (Class of 1963)
Butterfield, Douglas Holman (Class of 1963)
Hemmel, Clarence Joseph (Class of 1963)
Mitchell, Thomas Barry (Class of 1963)
Newberry, Wayne Ellsworth (Class of 1963)
Pirruccello, Joseph Samuel (Class of 1963)
Clark, Thomas Edward (Class of 1963)
Rex, Robert F (Class of 1963)
Hathaway, John Hooper (Class of 1963)
Bunker, Park George (Class of 1963)
Thomas, Leo Tarlton (Class of 1963)
Spangler, James Nelson (Class of 1964)
Salzarulo, Raymond Paul (Class of 1964)
Alfred, Gerald Oak (Class of 1964)
Krogman, Alva Ray (Class of 1964)
Jefferson, James Milton (Class of 1964)
Pazdan, Dennis Sigmund (Class of 1964)
Richter, Karl Wendell (Class of 1964)
Midnight, Francis Barnes (Class of 1964)
Moore, Larry Albert (Class of 1964)
Reeves, Robert Linton (Class of 1964)
Rickel, David J (Class of 1964)
Risher, David Horace (Class of 1964)
Zavacki, Francis NMN (Class of 1964)
White, James Blair (Class of 1964)
Trent, Alan Robert (Class of 1964)
Williams, David Beryl (Class of 1964)
Lodge, Robert Alfred (Class of 1964)
Bonnell, George Harrison (Class of 1965)
Raymond, Paul Darwin (Class of 1965)
Crew, James Alan (Class of 1965)
Johnson, Theodore Wesley (Class of 1965)
Hopper, Earl Pearson (Class of 1965)
Sijan, Lance Peter (Class of 1965)
Hesford, Peter Dean (Class of 1965)
Hackett, Harley Benjamin (Class of 1965)
Smith, Victor Arlon (Class of 1965)
Davenport, Robert Dean (Class of 1965)
Callies, Tommy Leon (Class of 1965)
Warren, Gray Dawson (Class of 1965)
Adams, Stanley Lee (Class of 1965)
Daffron, Thomas Carl (Class of 1965)
Lucki, Albin Earl (Class of 1965)
Keller, George Richard (Class of 1965)
Melnick, Steven Bernard (Class of 1965)
Wood, James Watson (Class of 1965)
Newendorp, James Vernon (Class of 1965)
Bush, John Robert (Class of 1966)
Ross, Joseph Shaw (Class of 1966)
Setterquist, Francis Leslie (Class of 1966)
Crist, Kenneth Roy (Class of 1966)
Hess, Frederick William (Class of 1966)
Orlowski, Joseph Michael (Class of 1966)
Brunner, Gary Edward (Class of 1966)
Gourley, Laurent Lee (Class of 1966)
Estrada, Carlos Alberto (Class of 1966)
Cheeseman, Alan Browne (Class of 1966)
Mravak, Thomas Anthony (Class of 1966)
Vincent, Halton Ramsey (Class of 1966)
Spitz, George Ross (Class of 1966)
Albright, John Scott (Class of 1967)
Donahue, Morgan Jefferson (Class of 1967)
Gilmore, James Robson (Class of 1967)
Svanoe, Kennard Errol (Class of 1967)
Henderson, Hal Kent (Class of 1967)
Davis, Daniel Richard (Class of 1967)
Moore, Donald Robert (Class of 1967)
Rosen, Max Emmanuel (Class of 1967)
Ferguson, Douglas David (Class of 1967)
Chorlins, Richard David (Class of 1967)
Pugh, Dennis Gerard (Class of 1967)
Henry, George Donald (Class of 1967)
Shay, Donald Emerson (Class of 1967)
Smith, James Leonard (Class of 1967)
Hoskins, Charles Lee (Class of 1967)
Steadman, James Eugene (Class of 1967)
Bosiljevac, Michael Joseph (Class of 1967)
James, Samuel Larry (Class of 1967)
Kruzel, Joseph John (Class of 1967)
Duffy, John Everett (Class of 1968)
Fehrenbach, Theron Carl (Class of 1968)
Ryder, John Leslie (Class of 1968)
Voris, Russell Earl (Class of 1968)
Caudill, Elmon Cleveland (Class of 1968)
Kollenberg, Charles Louis (Class of 1968)
Uhls, Willis Grant (Class of 1968)
Sigafoos, Walter Harrison (Class of 1968)
Jackson, Paul Vernon (Class of 1968)
Hallenbeck, Ted Brian (Class of 1968)
Sawyer, Wallace Blaine (Class of 1968)
Castro, Armando Ponce (Class of 1968) (PAF)
Rydlewicz, John Michael (Class of 1969)
Bond, Ronald Leslie (Class of 1969)
Kamenicky, George Wayne (Class of 1969)
Ryan, Robert Edward (Class of 1969)
Tousley, George Henry (Class of 1969)
Kohn, Robert Alan (Class of 1969)
Paul, Craig Allan (Class of 1969)
Lockhart, George Barry (Class of 1969)
Martin, Douglas Kent (Class of 1969)
Christy, Richard Neil (Class of 1970)
Hardy, Arthur Hans (Class of 1970)
Blassie, Michael Joseph (Class of 1970)
Haselton, John Herbert (Class of 1970)
Gravrock, Stephen Howard (Class of 1970)
Townsend, Francis Wayne (Class of 1970)
Turose, Michael Stephen (Class of 1970)
Hargrove, William Stone (Class of 1970)
Rovito, Gilbert Allan (Class of 1970)
Peterson, Mark Allan (Class of 1971)
Gray, Richard Tenney (Class of 1971)
Kays, James Grier (Class of 1971)
Captain Bryan Addison Rye (Class of 1971)
Froehlich, Laurence Eugene (Class of 1972)
McMillan, Charles Thomas (Class of 1973)
Jones, Charles Edward (Class of 1974)
Hook, Peter Samuel (Class of 1976)
Butler, Michael Wayne (Class of 1976)
Weaver, Paul Jennings (Class of 1979)
Phillis, Stephen Richard (Class of 1982)
McCarthy, Mark Patrick (Class of 1985)
Olson, Jeffry Jon (Class of 1986)
Hawkens, David Andrew (Class of 1986)
Olson, Patrick Brian (Class of 1987)
Homer, LeRoy Wilton (Class of 1987)
Shea, Kevin Michael (Class of 1989)
Piper, Laura Ashley (Class of 1992)
Plumhoff, Steven (NMI) (Class of 1992)
Das, Eric Bruce (Class of 1995)
Bryant, Frank Diehl, Jr. (Class of 1995)
Rodriguez, Rodolfo Ivan (Class of 1998)
Brodeur, David Lawrence (Class of 1999)
Argel, Derek Mears (Class of 2001)
Fresques, Jeremy Jeff (Class of 2001)
Wisniewski, David Anthony (Class of 2002)
Vorderbruggen, Adrianna M. (Class of 2002)
McDowell, Mark Russell (Class of 2005)
Schulte, Rosyln Littmann (Class of 2006)
Steel, James M. (Class of 2006)
Helton, Joseph Dennis (Class of 2007)
Pinckney (Castro), Victoria A (Class of 2008)
Voss, Mark T. (Class of 2008)
Lyon (Lissy) David I. (Class of 2008)
Wilkens, Justin James (Class of 2009)
Roland, Matthew D. (Class of 2010)
Pierson, Jordan B. (Class of 2010)
Weber, Mark K. (Class of 2011)

More information may be found at the Friends of The Air Force Academy Library website.

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