Blue Water Area Fallen Heroes banners on display in honor of Memorial Day

Liz Shepard, Port Huron Times Herald
·8 min read
The Blue Water Area Fallen Heroes banners will hang in downtown Port Huron until early June. The program aims to put a photo of every service member from St. Clair County who died while in service since World War I.
The Blue Water Area Fallen Heroes banners will hang in downtown Port Huron until early June. The program aims to put a photo of every service member from St. Clair County who died while in service since World War I.

Banners remembering St. Clair County residents who died in service to their country are on display in time for Memorial Day.

The Blue Water Area Fallen Heroes banners will remain up until early June.

"The Blue Water Area Fallen Heroes project is a very special project that Ed Weichsler (Air Force Veteran) initiated in the collecting of photos and stories of the fallen heroes," Chris Smith, director of St. Clair County Department of Veterans Affairs said in an email. "Ed, was able to do this by partnering with several veteran organization to include our St. Clair County Veterans Affairs office to spread the word about this impactful project. Throughout the past several years he spent many hours listening to fallen heroes families stories of loved ones, taking notes of important details, and scanning their photos (sometimes very old and only photo they could find of their loved one), so they can be honored  throughout Memorial Day across St. Clair County."

Banners in Port Huron Township can be found in the 3400 block of Lapeer Road.

Fort Gratiot has banners displayed in front of the Fort Gratiot Municipal office, according to  Rob Crawford, the township supervisor.

"(Friday) morning rain or shine, we are placing a flag at the 620 veteran graves in Sunset Memorial Gardens. Fort Gratiot staff, Fort Gratiot Rotarians, Fort Gratiot Lions and others volunteer to help place the flags," Crawford said in an email.

Due to the large number of Port Huron's military losses, Blue Water Area Fallen Heroes organizers have printed a different image on the backside of each banner.

The Blue Water Area Fallen Heroes banners hang in downtown Port Huron on Thursday, May 26, 2022. The program aims to put a photo of every service member from St. Clair County who died while in service since World War I.
The Blue Water Area Fallen Heroes banners hang in downtown Port Huron on Thursday, May 26, 2022. The program aims to put a photo of every service member from St. Clair County who died while in service since World War I.

Following is a list of remembered service members and the location of their banners in the city of Port Huron:

Last name, first name, location

  • Adkins, Glenden, Water St. to Pine (East)

  • Ailio Jr., Frank, Court St. to Union St. (East)

  • Alcorn, Philip, Beers to Bard St. (East)

  • Allen, Donald, Water St. to Pine (East)

  • Alloway, Thomas, Bard to Andrew Murphy (West)

  • Anthony, John F., Court St. to Union St. (West)

  • Ashford, John, Water St. to Pine (East)

  • Bacheller, Leo S., Grand River to Quay St. (East)

  • Baer, David, Andrew Murphy to McMorran Blvd. (West)

  • Bailey, John, Wall St. to Court St. (East)

  • Barden, Emory A., Pine St. to Wall St. (West)

  • Bauer, Robert, Pine St. to Wall St. (West)

  • Belcher, Charles, Grand River to Quay St. (West)

  • Blossey, Raymond, Water St. to Pine (West)

  • Bolcsics, Charles, Bard to Andrew Murphy (East)

  • Boukamp, Tonnis, Water St. to Pine (East)

  • Browning, Phillip, Wall St. to Court St. (West)

  • Bryce, David, Glenwood to Beers St. (West)

  • Byrne, Terence, McMorran to Grand River (West)

  • Cady, Gordon, Wall St. to Court St. (West)

  • Cameron, Joseph, Wall St. to Court St. (East)

  • Carmody, Donald, McMorran to Grand River (West)

  • Carson Jr., Samuel, Pine St. to Wall St. (East)

  • Carveth Jr., Homer, Bard to Andrew Murphy (West)

  • Casado, Angelus, Water St. to Pine (East)

  • Caskie, Rolla, Bard to Andrew Murphy (East)

  • Ceglarek, Richard, Wall St. to Court St. (East)

  • Chester, David, Water St. to Pine (East)

  • Chran, Rickey, Court St. to Union St. (West)

  • Church, William, McMorran to Grand River (East)

  • Collins, Edward, Court St. to Union St. (East)

  • Conyers, Harry, Glenwood to Beers St. (East)

  • Cook, Gordon, Wall St. to Court St. (East)

  • Cornwell, Thomas, Pine St. to Wall St. (East)

  • Craig, Robert, Grand River to Quay St. (East)

  • Daly, James, Bard to Andrew Murphy (West)

  • Downing, Laura, Glenwood to Beers St. (East)

  • Dubs, Lawrence, Beers to Bard St. (East)

  • Dudd, Ross H., Beers to Bard St. (West)

  • Duncan, Clinton, Water St. to Pine (West)

  • Eifert Jr., Alexander, Bard to Andrew Murphy (West)

  • Emeigh, Michael, McMorran to Grand River (East)

  • Farnsworth, Cecil, Pine St. to Wall St. (East)

  • Fenner, Lewis T., Pine St. to Wall St. (West)

  • Firth, Stanley, Pine St. to Wall St. (East)

  • Fogal, Amos, Water St. to Pine (West)

  • Fox, Jr., Kenneth, Wall St. to Court St. (East)

  • GarciaDomingoPine St. to Wall St. (West)

  • Gerrie, Jack, Water St. to Pine (West)

  • Gersten, Everett, Court St. to Union St. (East)

  • Gobeyn, Albert, Wall St. to Court St. (West)

  • Gonzales, Manuel, Beers to Bard St. (East)

  • Gorinac, Edward, Andrew Murphy to McMorran Blvd. (West)

  • Groat, Richard, Water St. to Pine (East)

  • Groat, Wayne, Wall St. to Court St. (West)

  • Hall, Charles, Water St. to Pine (East)

  • Hamilton, Frank, Andrew Murphy to McMorran Blvd. (West)

  • Hammond, Charles, Grand River to Quay St. (East)

  • Hanton, Robert, McMorran to Grand River (West)

  • Harmon Jr., Harry E., Court St. to Union St. (East)

  • Harmon Sr., Harry E., Court St. to Union St. (East)

  • Harris, Kenneth, Grand River to Quay St. (West)

  • Hayes, Francis, Grand River to Quay St. (West)

  • Henderson, Charles, Bard to Andrew Murphy (East)

  • Hogan, William, Grand River to Quay St. (East)

  • Howard, Clarence ‘Bud’, Pine St. to Wall St. (West)

  • Huss, Lavon, Wall St. to Court St. (West)

  • Hutchinson, Daniel, McMorran to Grand River (East)

  • Jackson, Charles B., Wall St. to Court St. (East)

  • Jacobs, David, Pine St. to Wall St. (East)

  • Jones, Fred, Pine St. to Wall St. (East)

  • Ketels, Peter, Pine St. to Wall St. (West)

  • Kingsman Jr., Thomas, Bard to Andrew Murphy (East)

  • Kivel, Elmer, Water St. to Pine (West)

  • Knapp, Thomas, McMorran to Grand River (West)

  • Kosel, Gene, Grand River to Quay St. (East)

  • Krafft, William T., Water St. to Pine (East)

  • Lamlein, Frederick, Water St. to Pine (West)

  • Lane, James “Howard”, Andrew Murphy to McMorran Blvd. (East)

  • Langolf, Alexander, McMorran to Grand River (East)

  • Langolf, William, Grand River to Quay St. (West)

  • Langolf, Harold, Water St. to Pine (West)

  • Langolf, Christian, Pine St. to Wall St. (East)

  • Lavere, George, Wall St. to Court St. (East)

  • Leonard, David, Water St. to Pine (East)

  • Lickfeldt, Jack, Wall St. to Court St. (West)

  • Lovett, Kenneth, Glenwood to Beers St. (East)

  • MacNeil, Calvin, McMorran to Grand River (East)

  • Madill, John, McMorran to Grand River (West)

  • Marlatt, Roy, Beers to Bard St. (West)

  • Martz, Walter, Grand River to Quay St. (West)

  • Massman, Michael, Andrew Murphy to McMorran Blvd. (West)

  • McCabe, Stewart, Glenwood to Beers St. (West)

  • McCullough, Robert, Glenwood to Beers St. (East)

  • McGill, William, Water St. to Pine (East)

  • McLeod, Kenneth, Pine St. to Wall St. (East)

  • McNabb, Thomas, Water St. to Pine (East)

  • Meadows, Ernest, Beers to Bard St. (East)

  • Meismer, Charles ‘Bill’, Wall St. to Court St. (West)

  • Mericka, Joseph, Wall St. to Court St. (West)

  • Middleton, Kenneth, Grand River to Quay St. (West)

  • Mitchell, William, Water St. to Pine (West)

  • Morris, Wesley, Wall St. to Court St. (West)

  • Norris, Douglas, Water St. to Pine (East)

  • O’Connor, Thomas, Water St. to Pine (West)

  • O’Rourke, Edward (Ted), Pine St. to Wall St. (West)

  • Oleksa, Chris, Pine St. to Wall St. (East)

  • Ordowski, John, Wall St. to Court St. (East)

  • Pardee, James, Bard to Andrew Murphy (East)

  • Pelch, Michael, Pine St. to Wall St. (West)

  • Quintal, Robert, Wall St. to Court St. (West)

  • Reid, Daniel, Wall St. to Court St. (West)

  • Renehan, Edward, Glenwood to Beers St. (East)

  • Rich, Lawrence, Water St. to Pine (East)

  • Ritzel, Harry, Pine St. to Wall St. (West)

  • Roskey, Edgar, McMorran to Grand River (West)

  • Ross, Harold, Water St. to Pine (West)

  • Ross, Robert, Wall St. to Court St. (East)

  • Ruggeri, William, Andrew Murphy to McMorran Blvd. (East)

  • Schieman, Russell, Pine St. to Wall St. (East)

  • Schoor, Charles, Bard to Andrew Murphy (West)

  • Schultz, David, McMorran to Grand River (West)

  • Schwiket, Ralph, Glenwood to Beers St. (West)

  • Scriver, Russell, Pine St. to Wall St. (West)

  • Secord, David, Wall St. to Court St. (West)

  • Segar, Calvin, Pine St. to Wall St. (West)

  • Setter, Louis, Bard to Andrew Murphy (West)

  • Sherman, Ray, Bard to Andrew Murphy (East)

  • Sinclair, Charles, Grand River to Quay St. (East)

  • Slingerland, Leland, Pine St. to Wall St. (East)

  • Smiley, Paul, Water St. to Pine (East)

  • Smith, Donald, Glenwood to Beers St. (West)

  • Smith, Gordon, Beers to Bard St. (East)

  • Smith, John I., Beers to Bard St. (West)

  • Smith, Robert, Pine St. to Wall St. (East)

  • Snyder, George, Pine St. to Wall St. (West)

  • Snyder, Owen, Court St. to Union St. (West)

  • Springstead, Orville, Pine St. to Wall St. (East)

  • Stafford, Thomas, Beers to Bard St. (West)

  • Stevenson, Ralph, Water St. to Pine (West)

  • Stine, Ronald, Water St. to Pine (East)

  • Storey, Dallas (Danny), Beers to Bard St. (West)

  • Swanson, Roy, McMorran to Grand River (East)

  • Sweet, Merlin, Pine St. to Wall St. (East)

  • Tacie, Wilford, Court St. to Union St. (East)

  • Teeple, Wayne, Andrew Murphy to McMorran Blvd. (East)

  • Thomas, David, Beers to Bard St. (West)

  • Timmerman, Allan, Pine St. to Wall St. (West)

  • Tingley, Reuben, Water St. to Pine (West)

  • Toles, Sumner, Glenwood to Beers St. (West)

  • Tucker, Earl, Water St. to Pine (West)

  • Vargo, John, Water St. to Pine (West)

  • Vasquez, Mark, McMorran to Grand River (West)

  • Wade, William, Glenwood to Beers St. (East)

  • Walters, Howard, Grand River to Quay St. (West)

  • Watson, Thomas, McMorran to Grand River (East)

  • Watson, Thomas, Pine St. to Wall St. (East)

  • West, Elmer, Wall St. to Court St. (East)

  • Wheeler, Charles, Court St. to Union St. (West)

  • Willard, Eldon, Water St. to Pine (West)

  • Winfield, Ralph, Grand River to Quay St. (East)

  • Wisson, Theodore, McMorran to Grand River (East)

  • Woodruff Jr., Roy ‘Dude’, Pine St. to Wall St. (West)

  • Young, Sanford, Pine St. to Wall St. (East)

  • Young Jr., Howard, Water St. to Pine (West)

Those who have photos of a fallen hero or need more information can call (810) 985-2007, (810) 434-6407 or email Ed Weichsler at weichsler10@gmail.com. Donations can be made to the banner project through the Community Foundation of St. Clair County.

This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: Blue Water Area Fallen Heroes banners on display for Memorial Day