Publish Date: 9/19/2007 Page: A1

Commemoration of Heroes

Charlotte Burrous/Daily Record

Ceremony participants reflect on fallen soldiers, dedicate airport memorial wing

FLORENCE - As the flag whipped in the wind, cars raced by on the highway while one lone voice read names from the wall.

"Ronald Packard. John DeBock. Thomas Kilcullen. William Fuller."

As Ed Petrovic read the names of the 104 members from the 12th Tactical Fighter Wing group, who died in Southeast Asia, the members, their families and several guests stood at attention to commemorate the sixth anniversary of the dedication of the memorial wing at the airport.

Although none of the members were stationed together, each of them have common memories of their service in Vietnam.

Ron Doughty, former member of the 12th Tactical Fighter Wing division at Cam Ranh Bay Air Base in Vietnam, led the informal ceremony Sunday at the Col. Leo Sidney Boston War Memorial Park at the Fremont County Airport.

"We've gathered here today to honor 104 men who were killed in action while assigned to the 12th Tactical Fighter Wing at Cam Ranh Bay and Phu Cat Air Bases in Vietnam between 1963 to 1971," he said. "A formal dedication was conducted six years ago today Sept. 16, 2001, to dedicate the last panel of the wall on this side of the monument next to the aircraft."

"Since then, each year, we've assembled here to have a re-dedication ceremony," Doughty said.

After speakers took the floor for a few moments, the "National Anthem" played and was followed by the reading of the names by Petrovic.

During the event, Jim "Boomer" Cockerham, who has not missed a reunion, said he came to honor those who served in the group.

"It's an opportunity to honor our fallen heroes and some of them who have not fallen," he said.

When Cockerham was deployed to Vietnam, it was with the 12th Tactical Fighter Wing group.

When the group come together, they recall memories of Vietnam, but they also laugh and talk about other events in their life.

"We have a lot of common experiences," Cockerham said.

The concept of the reunion originated when several members started a Web page to begin a discussion group. Then someone got the idea to meet. Before long, it became an annual event.

The group brought the reunion to Fremont County after Doughty saw a picture of the F-4 Phantom fighter jet sitting at a munitions training center in Denver in the newsletter, "Smoke Trails."

By the time he contacted Arvada resident Gene Rust, the jet had been donated to Fremont County. Rust contacted former county commissioners Jim Schauer, Joe Rall and Keith McNew, H. Ray Jones and other community members, who agreed to set aside the last panel next to the jet.

It was in 1996 that the group started the 12th TFW History Project, Inc. to collect money to add the names on bricks for the last panel on the wall.

After a successful campaign, the group hosted its original dedication of the panel Sept. 16, 2001, immediately following the 9/11 attack.

Members of the group vowed the terrorists would not keep them from attending the ceremony. Since then, many of them have made the effort to continue the tradition each year.

"This is a way to keep their memories alive," Cockerham said.

Charlotte Burrous can be reached at cburrous@ccdailyrecord.com