Star Valley’s Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion officials are collaborating in a project that will supply a Gold Star monument at the burial site of every Star Valley service member who has been killed in action. Organizers are calling for the names and biographical information about all fallen service members of the Star Valley community and are hoping to deliver all completed monuments to the respective cemeteries on Memorial Day, 2026.

“We want to ensure that we are inclusive of everyone that we should be honoring on Memorial Day to remember those who were killed in action,” said Jerry Lainhart, who serves as Commander to VFW Post #4797 in Afton.  “We don’t want to miss anyone.”

Families and friends of service members who gave the full measure of their devotion in service to our Country are invited to review the list of names that officials already have. If a KIA service member is not listed, families and friends are asked to please submit the names of their loved ones to Ron Anderson who serves as President of the Star Valley Historical Society by March 31.

Anderson and the Historical Society have accepted the assignment of compiling a complete list of names, finding the best possible photos of each service member and creating a life sketch that will be included in the monument. Anderson is “the point of contact for our efforts to document each service member from our community that paid the ultimate sacrifice for the country and freedom we, and citizens of communities throughout the world, enjoy today,” said Lainhart. “We want the life sketch to bring each service member to life so people reading it might feel like they know him.”

American Legion Commanders Ty Campbell and Dennis Christensen, who administer the two legions in Star Valley, are charged with etching the photos and life sketches into the metal sheeting of the monuments. The VFW is supplying 30 Gold Star flags to be used for the project.

Welding students at Star Valley High School, under the direction of welding instructor, Shawn Merritt, will build the monuments, and art students at SVHS, who are led by Denise Frazier, will paint the welded monuments to beautify and properly preserve them.

“We are looking forward to having our high school students take significant roles in preparing these monuments to be a lasting part of our valley,” said Lainhart, hoping that these youth will understand “what this project means to the veteran community.”

“Each completed monument will be given to the respective cemetery district for display at the burial site of each service member where applicable,” or the burial site of a mother, grandmother or spouse’s grave if appropriate, “or at the respective community veteran memorial if one exists when the member is buried overseas or their remains were not recovered,” said Lainhart. “We want to honor and remember the sacrifices made by families if the service member is not buried locally.”

Community members, including the VFW and American Legion Auxiliaries are also invited to assist these efforts. “We will continue to find ways for the community to invest time, efforts, cash, and other contributions to this community driven project to bring our war dead to our remembrance,” Lainhart added.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to remind the community that freedom isn’t free and there are those in our community that paid the ultimate sacrifice for freedom as we celebrate 250 years of independence,” said Lainhart.

The Star Valley community is encouraged to review the list of names that accompanies this article. There are likely names that are not yet on the project list. “We hope the community will review the list and build it to include all who deserve our reverence for their sacrifices.”

If you have a name that needs to be added to the list, please email your information to Ron Anderson at gcreekranch@gmail.com

Editor’s note: This project is separate from the effort linked to The Wall That Heals, which honors Vietnam service members who were killed in action. Star Valley’s Vietnam War Dead will have two monuments as a result of the two initiatives.

Star Valley Historical Society 2026 list of Star Valley service members killed in action: 

Frank L Coziah, WWI 1918

Arthur T McKeeman, WWI 1918

Oscar Cazier, WWI 1918

Frank E. Kinyon, WWI 1918

Harmon T. Draney, WWI 1918

Lynn B. Jenkins, WWI 1919

Charles LeRoy Porter, WWI 1918

Jack Major, WWI 1921

Rex L Olson, WWII 1942

William L. Moffett, WWII 1943

Calvert C. Allred, WWII 1943

Wilford T. Heninger, WWII 1943

Floyd Perkins, WWII 1944

Dale O. Kennington, WWII 1944

Hyrum P. Pringle, WWII 1944

Lavor H. Jenkins, WWII 1945

Charles Thorton Books, WWII 1945

Doyle F. Draney, WWII 1945

Ballard H. Pead, WWII 1945

Ralph McCombs Dutson, WWII 1949

Alma J Stumpp, Vietnam 1965

Joseph Leslie Hart, Vietnam 1967

Stephan M. Gardiner, Vietnam 1968

Dale W. Johnson, Vietnam 1968

Kermit Haderlie, Vietnam 1968

Spencer Dean Taggart, Vietnam 1971

Lex S. Nelson, Iraq 2005