By Kevin Hanson – The Courier-Herald
The three airmen killed in December 2006 when their military helicopter crashed into Mount Peak will be honored during a July 4 ceremony.
Families of two of the Fort Lewis soldiers will be on hand for the 11 a.m. program at Veterans Memorial Park.
Local members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars decided to add a permanent marker at the park in memory of Chief Warrant Officer James Whitehead, Chief Warrant Officer Patrick Paige and Sgt. Thomas Clarkston. They were on a training mission Dec. 21, 2006, prior to being deployed to the Persian Gulf, when their UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter slammed into the south side of Mount Peak.
They were serving with “D” Troop 4th Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment 2nd Infantry Division.
The VFW has accumulated about $6,000 to turn plans to reality, according to George Rossman, one of the project's biggest boosters.
The local post applied for a $2,000 grant through the state Department of Veterans Affairs' Emblem Fund, he said, and the remainder has come in the form of private donations. The Emblem Fund derives its money through the sale of military license plates issued by the state.
Aiding the cause were Chuck and Marilyn Nelson, owners of Wilkeson Sandstone Quarry, who donated the sandstone block to which a plaque will be affixed, as well as the sandstone base. The 60-pound plaque measures 24 inches tall and 35 inches wide.
Rossman said the VFW is picking up the tab for the Whitehead and Clarkston families to attend the ceremony. Later that day, they will serve as grand marshals in the city's traditional Fourth of July parade.
For personal reasons, the Paige family has decided not to attend the ceremony.
The July 4 ceremony will include two keynote speakers, the first being Capt. Ricky Thomas from Fort Lewis. Also, state Rep. Christopher Hurst will talk from the perspective of a military parent; his son is serving a third tour of duty in the Middle East.
The program also will include presentation of the colors by the Scottish-American Military Society, the singing of “God Bless America” and “Peace On Earth” by Beverly Schneider, an invocation by Chaplain Orville Crawford and the playing of Taps by White River High student Kelli Taylor, among other things.
Kevin Hanson can be reached at khanson@courierherald.com.
