Today is the day we remember those of us who didn't come home. The sons and daughters, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters who cashed the check that they sign the day they take the oath of enlistment, good for anything in their life, including the giving of that life.
There are ceremonies going on across the nation and overseas today to honor these dead. In years past I've quoted poetry or Shakespeare, but today I want to highlight a memorial that isn't spoken of much.
At Fort Meade in Maryland, there is a memorial to those members of the signals intelligence community who have died on duty. The work of these young men and women was classified at the time of their death, and it wasn't until 2001 that the NSA declassified their files so their sacrifice could be fully known.
I came up in the Army going to buildings named after these warriors and living on streets with their names. It was only after visiting this memorial that I understood why no-one would tell us why so-and-so had a street named after him.
If you're ever in the DC or Baltimore area, take a drive up to Fort Meade and visit the National Cryptologic Museum and spend a few moments remembering these 161 brave men and women who not only died for us, but did so behind the veil.
Name | Date of Loss |
---|---|
CT3 Edward J. Purcell, USN | 08 Apr 1950 |
PFC Jay R. Stoner, USA | 11 Jul 1953 |
SSgt Donald G. Hill, USAF | 29 Jul 1953 |
A2C Earl W. Radlein, Jr., USAF | 29 Jul 1953 |
A2C Archie T. Bourg, Jr., USAF | 02 Sep 1958 |
A2C James E. Ferguson, USAF | 02 Sep 1958 |
A2C Joel H. Fields, USAF | 02 Sep 1958 |
A2C Harold T. Kamps, USAF | 02 Sep 1958 |
A2C Gerald C. Maggiacomo, USAF | 02 Sep 1958 |
A2C Clement O. Mankins, USAF | 02 Sep 1958 |
A2C Gerald H. Medeiros, USAF | 02 Sep 1958 |
1Lt Arthur L. Mello, USAF | 02 Sep 1958 |
A2C Robert H. Moore, USAF | 02 Sep 1958 |
A1C Robert J. Oshinskie, USAF | 02 Sep 1958 |
MSgt George P. Petrochilos, USAF | 02 Sep 1958 |
SP4 James T. Davis, USA | 22 Dec 1961 |
SP4 Arthur W. Glover, USA | 09 Feb 1964 |
PFC Donald R. Taylor, USA | 09 Feb 1964 |
SP5 Timothy F. Powell, Jr., USA | 13 May 1965 |
2LT George P. Samples, USA | 13 May 1965 |
LCPL Richard E. McKown, USMC | 24 Sep 1965 |
Sgt Paul C. Rodrigues, USMC | 24 Sep 1965 |
CTSA Roger W. Alex, USN | 24 Sep 1965 |
CTASA William E. Briley, USN | 24 Sep 1965 |
CTSN Wilfred D. Cordell, USN | 24 Sep 1965 |
CTSN Dennis E. Etzweiler, USN | 24 Sep 1965 |
CT3 Archie R. Garofalo, USN | 24 Sep 1965 |
CTSA John D. House, USN | 24 Sep 1965 |
LTJG Ernest D. Moody, USN | 24 Sep 1965 |
CT3 Wayne E. Tower, USN | 24 Sep 1965 |
CTSN James K. Whitman, USN | 24 Sep 1965 |
CT3 Gregory S. Williams, USN | 24 Sep 1965 |
SFC Robert F. Townsend, USA | 04 Nov 1965 |
SSG Donald D. Daugherty, USA | 13 Apr 1966 |
CPT James D. Stallings, USA | 25 Sep 1966 |
1LT John F. Cochrane, USA | 24 Oct 1966 |
SFC John F. Stirling, USA | 08 Mar 1967 |
A1C Charles D. Land, USAF | 09 Mar 1967 |
TSgt Raymond F. Leftwich, USAF | 09 Mar 1967 |
A1C Daniel C. Reese, USAF | 09 Mar 1967 |
SSgt Alfred T. Dwyer, USMC | 26 May 1967 |
CT3 William B. Allenbaugh, USN | 08 Jun 1967 |
LCDR Philip M. Armstrong, Jr. USN | 08 Jun 1967 |
SN Gary R. Blanchard, USN | 08 Jun 1967 |
SN Francis Brown, USN | 08 Jun 1967 |
CT2 Ronnie J. Campbell, USN | 08 Jun 1967 |
CT3 Jerry L. Converse, USN | 08 Jun 1967 |
CT2 Robert B. Eisenberg, USN | 08 Jun 1967 |
CT3 Jerry L. Goss, USN | 08 Jun 1967 |
CTI Curtis A. Graves, USN | 08 Jun 1967 |
CTSN Lawrence P. Hayden, USN | 08 Jun 1967 |
CTI Warren E. Hersey, USN | 08 Jun 1967 |
CTSN Alan Higgins, USN | 08 Jun 1967 |
SN Carl L. Hoar, USN | 08 Jun 1967 |
CT2 Richard W. Keene, Jr., USN | 08 Jun 1967 |
CTSN James L. Lenau, USN | 08 Jun 1967 |
CTC Raymond E. Linn, USN | 08 Jun 1967 |
CTI James M. Lupton, USN | 08 Jun 1967 |
CT3 Duane R. Marggraf, USN | 08 Jun 1967 |
CTSN David W. Marlborough, USN | 08 Jun 1967 |
CT2 Anthony P. Mendle, USN | 08 Jun 1967 |
CTSN Carl C. Nygren, USN | 08 Jun 1967 |
LT James C. Pierce, USN | 08 Jun 1967 |
ICFN David Skolak, USN | 08 Jun 1967 |
CTI John C. Smith, Jr., USN | 08 Jun 1967 |
CTC Melvin D. Smith, USN | 08 Jun 1967 |
PC2 John C. Spicher, USN | 08 Jun 1967 |
GMG3 Alexander N. Thompson, Jr., USN | 08 Jun 1967 |
CT3 Thomas R. Thornton, USN | 08 Jun 1967 |
CT3 Philippe C. Tiedtke, USN | 08 Jun 1967 |
LT Stephen S. Toth, USN | 08 Jun 1967 |
CTI Frederick J. Walton, USN | 08 Jun 1967 |
Sgt Jack L. Raper, USMC | 08 Jun 1967 |
Cpl Edward E. Rehmeyer, USMC | 08 Jun 1967 |
Allen M. Blue, NSA | 08 Jun 1967 |
Cpl Stephen L. Traughber, USMC | 10 Sep 1967 |
TSgt Frederick T. Sebers, USAF | 07 Nov 1967 |
SP5 Michael P. Brown, USA | 26 Nov 1967 |
SGT Diego Ramirez, Jr., USA | 26 Nov 1967 |
PFC Robert D. Taylor, USA | 26 Nov 1967 |
FN Duane D. Hodges, USN | 23 Jan 1968 |
CPT John M. Casey, USA | 25 Mar 1968 |
SP4 Jeffrey W. Haerle, USA | 13 May 1968 |
SP4 Christopher J. Schramm, USA | 13 May 1968 |
SP5 Samuel C. Martin, USA | 17 May 1968 |
Maj James W. Ayers, USMC | 30 Jun 1968 |
SGT Thomas J. Tomczak, USA | 23 Jul 1968 |
SSgt Louis J. Clever, USAF | 05 Feb 1969 |
SSgt James V. Dorsey, Jr., USAF | 05 Feb 1969 |
SSgt Rodney H. Gott, USAF | 05 Feb 1969 |
Sgt Clarence L. McNeill, USAF | 05 Feb 1969 |
SSgt Hugh L. Sherburn, USAF | 05 Feb 1969 |
Sgt Douglas Arcano, USAF | 05 June 1969 |
TSgt Eugene L. Benevides, USAF | 05 June 1969 |
Sgt Sherman E. Consolver, Jr., USAF | 05 June 1969 |
SSgt Roy L. Lindsey, USAF | 05 June 1969 |
Sgt Lucian A. Rominiecki, USAF | 05 June 1969 |
SSgt Richard J. Steen, Jr., USAF | 05 June 1969 |
SP5 Harold D. Biller, USA | 25 Feb 1969 |
CT3 Gary R. Ducharme, USN | 15 Apr 1969 |
CT3 John A. Miller, USN | 15 Apr 1969 |
CTI John H. Potts, USN | 15 Apr 1969 |
CTC Frederick A. Randall, USN | 15 Apr 1969 |
CTC Richard E. Smith, USN | 15 Apr 1969 |
CT3 Philip D. Sundby, USN | 15 Apr 1969 |
LT Robert F. Taylor, USN | 15 Apr 1969 |
CT2 Stephen J. Tesmer, USN | 15 Apr 1969 |
SSgt Hugh M. Lynch, USMC | 15 Apr 1969 |
SP5 Harry J. Colon, USA | 21 Jun 1969 |
SSgt Elmore L. Hall, USAF | 08 Oct 1969 |
Sgt Michael L. Stiglich, USAF | 08 Oct 1969 |
SP4 Henry N. Heide, II, USA | 29 Nov 1969 |
SP4 James R. Smith, USA | 29 Nov 1969 |
CTC Robert S. Gates, USN | 28 Dec 1969 |
MGySgt Edward R. Storm, USMC | 28 Dec 1969 |
Sgt Larry W. Duke, USMC | 10 Mar 1970 |
A1C Paul W. Anthony, USAF | 08 Apr 1970 |
SSgt Michael R. Conner, USAF | 22 Apr 1970 |
SGT Robert E. Dew, USA | 30 Aug 1970 |
SP5 Carl H. Caccia, USA | 21 Feb 1971 |
SP5 Robert J. Potts, USA | 21 Feb 1971 |
SP5 Michael B. Smith, USA | 21 Feb 1971 |
SP5 Robert J. Thelen, USA | 21 Feb 1971 |
SP5 Gary C. David, USA | 01 Mar 1971 |
SP5 Frank A. Sablan, USA | 01 Mar 1971 |
WOI Harold L. Algaard, USA | 04 Mar 1971 |
SP5 Richard J. Hentz, USA | 04 Mar 1971 |
CPT Michael W. Marker USA | 04 Mar 1971 |
SP5 Rodney D. Osborne, USA | 04 Mar 1971 |
SP6 John T. Straun, USA | 04 Mar 1971 |
Sgt Robert Hrisoulis, USMC | 21 Jan 1971 |
CT03 James M. Coon, USN | 12 Dec 1971 |
CTISN John M. Deremigio, USN | 12 Dec 1971 |
CTO1 Donald E. Dickerson, USN | 12 Dec 1971 |
CTOSN Stephen H. Elliott, USN | 12 Dec 1971 |
CTRI Walter R. Woods, Jr., USN | 12 Dec 1971 |
CTM2 Gregory K. Zeller, USN | 12 Dec 1971 |
SP4 Bruce A. Crosby, Jr., USA | 30 Mar 1972 |
SP5 Gary P. Westcott, USA | 30 Mar 1972 |
MSgt John W. Ryon, USAF | 21 Nov 1972 |
Sgt Dale Brandenburg, USAF | 05 Feb 1973 |
Sgt Peter R. Cressman, USAF | 05 Feb 1973 |
Sgt Joseph A. Matejov, USAF | 05 Feb 1973 |
SSgt Todd M. Melton, USAF | 05 Feb 1973 |
CT01 John R. Ball, USN | 03 Dec 1979 |
RM3 Emil E. White, USN | 03 Dec 1979 |
Sgt Steven C. Balcer, USAF | 16 Mar 1981 |
SSgt Harry L. Parsons, III, USAF | 16 Mar 1981 |
CTI3 Patrick R. Price, USN | 25 Jan 1987 |
CTI3 Craig R. Rudolph, USN | 25 Jan 1987 |
TSgt Ernest R. Parrish, USAF | 22 Sep 1995 |
SSgt Gene A. Vance, USA | 19 May 2002 |
Sgt Joseph M. Nolan, USA | 18 Nov 2004 |
SSG Edwin H. DazaChacon, USA | 13 Feb 2006 |
Sergeant Amanda N. Pinson, USA | 16 Mar 2006 |
SSG Kyu H. Chay, USA | 28 Oct 2006 |
SGT Trista L. Moretti, USA | 25 Jun 2007 |
CTT1(SW) Steven Daugherty, USN | 6 Jul 2007 |
SGT Nicholas A. Robertson, USA | 4 Apr 2008 |
CTM3 Matthew J. O'Bryant, USN | 30 Sep 2008 |