In Montesano, a crowd of more than 150 people gathered at Fleet Park and then migrated six blocks to honor three veterans this Memorial Day (May 29).
At Fleet Park, Montesano VFW Post 2455 hosted a ceremony for Vietnam casualties Johnny Chambers and David Harner.
Immediately following the ceremony, the crowd traveled the six blocks to the corner of Pioneer Avenue and Academy Street for another ceremony hosted by Rolling Thunder.
Chambers and Harner
Johnny Chambers had long been remembered and acknowledged as the first and only Vietnam casualty from Montesano. He died on Jan. 8, 1967. Following his death the Montesano High School Class of 1959 put a commemorative plaque memorial at Bryan Park.
Recently, it was learned the memorial for Chambers at Bryan Park had been damaged by a lawnmower. As the city reviewed options, it decided Fleet Park would be a better home for a Chambers memorial.
But in researching the memorial, it was learned that David Harner, too, was a Vietnam casualty from Montesano. He was killed on Nov. 15, 1967.
Through the efforts of VFW Post 2455, the City of Montesano, and City Councilman Dan Wood, a new vision for the memorial was brought to Fleet Park.
On Memorial Day, that vision was unveiled. A large black marble stone with information about Chambers and Harner and both with bronze plaques designed to match the one that had donated by the Class of ‘59 now will call Fleet Park its home.
Trooper Mike Shurley and Lt. Jim Bass both knew and served with Harner and spoke during the ceremony.
“I had only been in country for 15 days when (Harner died), ” Shurley said. “My first day was a pretty rough day, and then Nov. 15 was the next rough day. I spent a lot of time in my life trying to forget, and today is a day of memory and memorializing people and those we’ve lost at war. Unfortunately in Vietnam a lot of us spent so much time trying to forget — I didn’t realize how important it was to remember.”
“(Harner) deserved to be honored. I had only been in country for 15 days… and he helped mentor me. He was a good soldier, and he hadn’t been there that long himself, but it makes me realize that it is important to remember those who died for our country,” Shurley added.
Bass commended the crowd for coming to the ceremony.
“I’m very proud of all these people that showed up,” Bass said. “God bless you.”
Trooper Tim Nealey gave an account of Chambers.
Staff Sergeant Aaron Ahern of the Washington State National Guard then delivered a short talk about Memorial Day in general. Ahern lives in Aberdeen with his family.
“We can take a couple minutes and remember our loved ones on a nice weekend, but also not have it be something that’s so ominous and daunting, but also a celebration,” Ahern said. “How apropos that the beginning of summer starts on the day we remember our brothers and sisters who fought to defend this great nation…”
To close out the ceremony, VFW Post 2455 honor squad held a rifle barrage and “Taps” was played.
Davis
Like a funeral procession, the crowd walked through Montesano from Fleet Park to the corner of Academy Street and Pioneer Avenue. There, a piece of black fabric covered a sign attached to the post below the green street signs.
Rolling Thunder, a motorcycle group that advocates for veterans and Gold Star families (a Gold Star family is one that has lost an adult child to active duty), rumbled through Montesano along the six blocks past the crowd — most of whom chose to walk the short distance.
At the ceremony, people sat in chairs and on the hill of a private lawn loaned momentarily for the occasion. Across the street was Monte Villa Apartments where Tim Davis had lived the longest during his childhood.
Davis was killed while serving in Afghanistan on Feb. 20, 2009.
Shortly after the ceremony began, the black cloth was removed to reveal a temporary memorial street sign for Davis.
“S SGT Timothy Peter Davis Memorial Drive” the sign proclaims.
Soon, that sign will be replaced with a permanent sign to remember Davis. The permanent sign was delayed due to an issue with the mail, a Rolling Thunder representative said at the ceremony.
Following the unveiling, Lt. Col. Dan Magruder told the crowd about his time with Davis. He and Davis served together during Tim’s last tour of duty.
“He was well respected by his peers, so much so that he was called ‘Senior Davis,’ but he was a staff sergeant which is an E5 and a senior is E8 — his peers thought he was three levels higher than where he served,” Magruder said. “I’m glad this (sign) is here so everyone in town can remember Tim. I appreciate his service to the nation.”
Jesse Huggins of Montesano, Davis’ childhood friend, told the crowd about growing up with Davis.
“He was the first friend I had in Montesano,” Huggins said. “I hung out with Tim probably every day, it felt like, for years on end… I have so many memories of Tim. He just was so mentally strong, it was just crazy. I never to this day have met anybody like that. He was a good athlete, but how hard he pushed himself in any sport made him a great athlete.”
Noel Carroll, Davis’ younger sister, now also serving in the U.S. Air Force like her brother had, discussed her brother and her reason for joining the military.
“My mom and dad managed the Monte Villa Apartments for 11 years… and Tim, Ben (the oldest sibling) and I just tore up this neighborhood and every street in Montesano. This is our hometown,” Carroll said. “I can’t describe that feeling you have when your older brother dies who was your role model growing up. He was just so athletically gifted and strong willed, and everything an older brother would be. When he passed I felt a duty to sign to join the Air Force to honor him. This street sign means a lot to my family.”
Davis’ mother Sally Sheldon addressed the crowd and some of her comments were aimed toward supporting Memorial Day and remembering all veterans who have died in service.
“I’m so thankful for the men and women who put on the U.S. uniform and serve their country,” Sheldon said. “I’m old enough to remember what John F. Kennedy said, ‘Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.’”
