November 2022

Memorial Stadium was rededicated in 2019 and the centerpiece of the event was the brick monument honoring the El Reno Public Schools students who paid the ultimate sacrifice from service to their country during World War II.

The monument listed the 44 known names of former students at that time. Since the dedication, new resources have opened up research that has uncovered more former students, raising the total to 82.

The additional names will be enshrined in a future planned expansion of the memorial to include other wars.

William Harvey Thrailkill Jr.

U.S. Air Force from 1965 to 1969.

Stationed at Tinker Air Force Base.

Served in Vietnam in January 1968, stationed in Nha Trang.

Worked on airplanes repairing recip engines.

Died March 25, 2020, from Agent Orange issues.

Jim Lane Phariss

U.S. Army

Korea

Dec. 1, 1952, to Sept. 18, 1954

Front Line 39th Parallel the day Armistice was signed

Larry Thomason

U.S. Army

March 1966 to March 1968

Location: Alabama and Vietnam

Loy W. Strasner

Royal Canadian Air Force before the U.S. entered World War II and was released to join the U.S. Navy when the U.S. declared war.

Served in the submarine service.

Michael C. Kelly

Army

Active duty May 1975 to May 1978

Fort Lewis, Wash.

By Edgar Perez
El Reno High School junior
(Brian Rukes’ AP English 3 class)

Richard M. Fogg

1966 to 1967

Vietnam

Richard M. Preno

U.S. Air Force

1946 to 1949

Iwo Jima/Guam

EN3 Wiley F. Smith

Vietnam

Patrol Boat River 1968-69

Wounded in Action March 9, 1969