White Oak Helps Celebrate Dedication of the Fallen Trooper Memorial
Salem, OR – October 1, 2016 – On October 1, members of the White Oak Construction (WOC) team proudly attended the dedication of the Fallen Trooper Memorial. WOC led the construction efforts. The memorial is located in front of the Public Service Building on the Capitol Mall. Groundbreaking was held on Flag Day, June 14, 2016. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, Oregon State Police Superintendent Travis Hampton, and State Senator Betsy Johnson attended and spoke.
Oregon State Police (OSP) Lt. Cari Boyd, led the non-profit organization’s project which has raised over $235,000 for the project. The memorial recognizes 33 troopers who have made the ultimate sacrifice while protecting the citizens of Oregon.
“This is the most in-the-line-of-duty deaths of any law enforcement agency in the state of Oregon,” Boyd said. She was pleased that millions of people will be able to honor these troopers at the memorial when they visit the State Capitol.
Dan Wellert, project manager at White Oak Construction said his company was fully committed to the project. He added, “From the citizen’s perspective, it is so important to acknowledge what our police officers do for us and to honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.”
Gene Bolante, lead architect at Studio 3 Architecture, was involved in the design of the project. The memorial featured a black basalt wall with the names of fallen troopers. In the center is a map of Oregon with stars showing where each death occurred. An unfinished column is in the middle to symbolize troopers who will never be able to finish their job. “We are so proud to be a part of this,” he added.
Fallen Oregon State Troopers:
- Arthur Steven Hubbard, died December 17th, 1914
- Amos L. “Spud” Helms, died October 18, 1931
- Earl A. Burtch, died September 22, 1948
- Burrell M. Baucom, died July 1, 1933
- Elmer Ray Pyle, died August 17, 1938
- Ira A Warren, died April 7, 1938
- Willard A. Tubbs, died June 21, 1939
- George Robert Cameron, died July 5, 1944
- Theodore R. Chambers, died April 28, 1945
- Delmond E. Rondeau, died April 25, 1947
- LeRoy H. Spickerman, died January 17, 1948
- William T. Levinson, died September 7, 1950
- Dale B. Courtney, died October 1, 1950
- Philip B. Lowd, died June 24th, 1952
- Richard F. O’Connor, died May 8th, 1956
- Charles C. “Chuck” Sanders, died February 22, 1957
- Frederick C. Kielhorn, died September 8, 1961
- Ralph D. Bates, died November 8, 1963
- William M. Hall, died May 7, 1967
- Donald T. Welp, died November 15, 1967
- Dan A. Nelson, died July 28, 1972
- Harold R. Berg, died May 19, 1975
- Holly V. Holcomb, Jr., died November 25, 1975
- James D. Shepherd, died May 22, 1980
- Donald E. Smith, died July 11, 1983
- Bret R. Clodfelter, died September 30, 1992
- James D. Rector, died September 2, 1997
- Scott A. Lyons, September 2, 1997
- Richard J. Schuening, died October 2, 1997
- Maria Mignano, died September 4, 2001
- William R. Hakim, died December 12, 2008
To learn about the 33 fallen troopers who were honored on the memorial, visit http://www.ospmemorial.org/heroes.html