One Local High School Teacher and Veteran Spearheads a “Walk of Heroes” Project for the Fallen
By Lisa Morgan
“Jesus Gonzales was the first former student from the valley killed in action in Iraq. I remember making my students write about him in their daily news journals. Four years later, my students wrote about Ming Sun. In 2012, my students wrote about Suresh. All three were born outside of the US.” This is the somber yet passionate reflection of Lee Wilson Jr., a Cathedral City High School teacher who has been teaching World and US History since 1997. The Peace Corp AND Marine Corp veteran who served as a Russian Cryptologic Linguist, breaking Russian codes for the Marines, holds a Bachelors in Russian Language and a Masters in National Security, is spearheading a project to honor these and many others from our school district. This Fallen Heroes Project has received huge public support and is very near accomplishing it’s goal: to honor all local residents of Palm Springs and Palm Springs Unified School District who in time of war gave their lives for our freedom with castle or “Hero Banners” creating a “Walk of Heroes” along Palm Canyon Drive in downtown Palm Springs and at the Palm Springs Air Museum. The project is sponsored by the Palm Springs American Legion, Owen Coffman Post 519. It is Wilson Jr.’s hope that the other neighboring cities will follow suit.
Since 9/11, Wilson has been at the helm of walking his students through the tragedy that spawned the “War on Terror”, that ultimately cost the lives of students that he knew and held dear:
Marine Cpl. Jesus A. Gonzalez
Died April 12, 2003 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom
Assigned to 1st Tank Battalion, 1st Marine Division, Twentynine Palms was killed while manning a checkpoint in Baghdad. Gonzalez was married and had a 2 year old daughter, is remembered as a respectful, outgoing young man who wanted the adventure and education he could get from joining the military. Known to be patriotic, both as a Mexican and for the country where he lived, Gonzalez graduated from Indio High School and attended the College of the Desert. He was but the first of many to follow in the costly, heroic footsteps of our valley’s school districts since World War II.
Army Pfc. Ming Sun
Died January 9, 2007 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom
Sun, age 20, of Cathedral City, was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colorado. He died in Ramadi, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his unit came in contact with enemy forces using small-arms fire during combat patrol operations.
“I was Ming Sun’s teacher his sophomore year,” shared Wilson, Jr. “He was a Class of ’04 Cathedral City High School graduate. Ming was a good kid, the kind of kid that every teacher wants to have.” According to the Associated Press, Ming Sun wanted two things: to be a soldier and an American. Ming came to the United States with his parents when he was 8. Acquaintances said he wanted to become a soldier, especially after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The Chinese immigrant got both wishes, but the latter came after his death in Iraq. At his funeral, his parents received his Purple Heart, Bronze Star and certificate of U.S. citizenship. “For what Ming did, we can never repay him,” Cathedral City mayor Kathy DeRosa said. “This will always be Ming’s home.”
Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Suresh Abayasekara Krause
Died August 16, 2012 Serving during Operation Enduring Freedom
Krause, born in Sri Lanka, was 14 years old when he was adopted and brought to the U.S. by his aunt and uncle, leaving behind his biological parents to live in the Coachella Valley. Krause, also a student of Wilson Jr.’s, graduated from Cathedral City High School in 2001 and later earned a degree in aeronautical science in Arizona. Five years later, he was shot down over Afghanistan when his UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter went down in Kandahar near Shah Wali Kot, killing all 11 on board. Seven of those on board were Americans including 2 Navy Seals, 4 Soldiers and One EOD Technician Sailor. The crash was under investigation by the Pentagon. The crash happened in a Taliban stronghold area, and the Taliban have claimed responsibility; however, this has not yet been confirmed by the DOD.
It is not difficult to see how close the Fallen Heroes Project is to Wilson’s heart, the place from where his undaunted motivation stems. But these are just a few who have made the ultimate sacrifice. Wilson has spent uncounted hours at the local library, pouring over micro-phish and the internet, searching for photos and information on each serviceman, in order that each fallen hero’s story might be told and honored:
World War II-
Richard Francis Gill
Norval William Kelley Jr.
Benjamin F. Ward
Owen Baylis Coffman
Earle B. Pinckard
Albert James Reaume
Stephen Joseph Levi
Allen R. Hall Jr.
Herbert H. Lienau
Leonard Ray Bryant
Pete Nila
Stephen P. Pavel Jr.
Thomas (Tomas) Villa
Vernon M. Troutt
Roaul R. Prieto
David K. Manson
Korean War-
Russell G. Torres
Vietnam War-
Thomas Eugene McKee
Gary Lee Saxton
Dennis Dale Reed
Adam Serna Najar
Leveret Roscoe Prosky
Robert Phillip Levin
Ronald Lee Young
Joseph Lamar Stone
The support from the community has been inspiring. Immediately upon contacting them, the City of Cathedral City, the Palm Springs Air Museum, the Palm Springs Teacher’s Union and the owners of Palm Canyon Road House, among many others, jumped on board to be part of this worthy endeavor. At a fundraiser held at Palm Canyon Road House all the banners for these 27 soldiers were sponsored for both the Palm Canyon Drive and the Palm Springs Air Museum. Now, only the funds for the hardware to hang the banners (estimated at $3000) is needed as well as sanctioning by the City of Palm Springs to hang the banners during select national holidays.
“I stopped counting after 100 the number of cities in Southern California that honor those in active duty overseas. The difference here is, we are honoring those who died serving our country during war, who gave the absolute sacrifice, some of whose stories were never told.” Sponsored by the Palm Springs American Legion, Owen Coffman, Post 519, friends and family of our 27 heroes are invited to leave photos that can be used during patriotic events and to keep as a permanent record in our archives. We especially need photos and information about our World War II, Korea and Vietnam heroes.
People wishing to donate to the Palm Springs Hero Banner project: Please send a check or money order made out to the Palm Springs American Legion Post 519. In the memo portion of the check; please write HERO
BANNERS.
Mail to:
Palm Springs American Legion Post 519
Attn: Dave Stevely, Finance Officer
400 N. Belardo Rd.
Palm Springs, CA 92262
In the unlikely event more money than needed is raised for our banner project, all additional funds will be made to the Legion Scholarship Program.
You can find updated information by requesting to be added to the Facebook group page: Palm Springs Fallen Hero Banner Project
www.facebook.com/groups/762280353855000
