The City of Dayton and Entergy Texas have partnered on an expansion of the Dayton Veterans Memorial Wall, located on the grounds of the Dayton Community Center. This year, roughly nine dozen more plaques are being added to the wall at a special ceremony at 5 p.m. on Dec. 7.
The wall was established in 2013 and bears plaques honoring many local veterans, living and dead, including the 12 sons of Stash and Mattie Ripkowski of Dayton. Nine of the Ripkowski sons served during World War II and the others served in the wars in Korea and Vietnam.
The ceremony on Dec. 7 will include speeches from Steve Stephens, who was a driving force for the wall and was mayor at the time it was approved by Council. Other speakers will include Mayor Caroline Wadzeck and a representative from Entergy Texas.
Members of the Stash and Mattie Ripkowski family of Dayton look for the names of their family members on the Veterans Memorial Wall in Dayton on May 20, 2019. The wall was rededicated after Entergy sponsored repairs from Hurricane Harvey. 
The section of the Wall of Honor bears the names of Dayton residents killed in U.S. wars since World War II. 
The Ripkowski family gathers for a photo in front of the Wall of Honor that bears the names of 12 of their relatives who fought in World War II, Korean War and the Vietnam War. Only four Ripkowski children remain – Mike, James, Franklin and Anna Lee. This photo was taken at the dedication ceremony in 2019.
As the City has no contact information for the veterans being honored this year, they are asking the public to share this article in the hopes that the honorees or their families will be able to attend.
Those honored this year will be:
- Leonard R. Smith
- Kelsey Crowson Silbernagel
- Luke H. St. Julian
- Joseph W. St. Julian
- Drence L. Krigar
- Ralph C. Villermin
- Jeremy W. Johnson
- Norman W. White
- Alfred A. Bederka
- Ray H. Bederka
- Charles L. Bederka
- Jimmy L. Bederka
- Johnny Carter
- Bobby Bardwell
- James M. Armer
- Robert Boumanskie
- John Allen Phillips
- Jesse Klimitchek
- Charles Burwick
- Larry D. Neuman
- Franklin D. Neuman
- Kennie Passmore
- Ron J. Peroni
- Francis Joseph Buehta
- Bobby H. Payne
- Wiley Smith Jr.
- Linda J. Gates Black
- Tommie John Douglas
- H.E. Buzz Williams
- Jesse Houston Barton
- Jesse Wayne Taylor
- Donny Reeves
- Bobby D. Jones
- Roland R. Lavergne
- Douglas G. Buxton
- Henry H. Buxton
- Charles W. Buxton
- Addison Glenn Tilton
- Donald H. Wilson
- Ronnie G. Ripkowski
- R. Mark Ripkowski
- Ken Campbell
- Marcus Ray White
- Rayland James Pitre
- Ronald L. Najera
- Charles Ray Pafford
- Ronnie G. Carter
- Samuel Sadler
- Merle R. Jackson
- Travis J. Lechowit
- William M. Lechowit
- Elton K. Mayes
- Adrian R. Touchstone
- James Edgar Lee
- Chris Duos
- Eric L Ibarra
- Edward Vyoral
- Slade Rieves
- Jerry W. Wilson
- Arthur S. Joy
- William Lechowit
- Bennie Curtis
- Mark A. Morefield
- Michael Pickard
- Rodney G. Stephens
- Charles K. Windham
- Vernon Young
- Jamie Neault
- Edgar S. Speck
- John S. Robertson
- Lamar E. Touchstone Sr.
- Lamar E. Touchstone Jr.
- TJ Crayton
- J. Aaron DeLaughter
- Johnnie L. Duncan
- Douglas Gross
- Lester Melvin Jolly
- Kenneth Paul Jolly
- Claudie Ray Jolly
- Ivory Kelley
- Clinton Majors
- Alton Owen Moore
- James D. Buchta
This year’s list of honorees includes two Dayton police officers – Eric Ibarra and Chris Duos, and State Trooper Jamie Neault.