Names of the Fallen on the Memorial: (F. Butler, III; Ronald O'Rourke; James W. Brock III; Walter D. Kniffin; Elmer F. Park; Joseph A. Whitesell). Photo: Wally Clark
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Miami Springs War Memorial.
Photo: Wally Clark
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Welcome, and thanks for visiting. While I never personally served, military service has played a significant role in my upbringing ( -----------> ). I'm proud to live in Miami Springs, Florida - a community with its own (two!) monuments to the human cost of freedoms that are all-too-easy to take for granted, and where we hold regular gatherings to reflect, as we honor and remember all of those who served. |
Clockwise fr. bottom left: Four generations of Tallman men: Avery Tallman, Bill Tallman, Howard Lewis Tallman, Jr.,
Maj. Howard L. Tallman III. Photo courtesy Tallman Family collection
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Back around 2009, I was attending a Memorial Day ceremony in Miami Springs, and I was struck by the lack of detail with respect to the names listed on the War Memorial. I'm not a lifelong resident, and so while some of the names ring familiar to me based on family members I know -- the full stories were a mystery. Further, I wanted to try to avoid having those stories lost to history. This site is the manifestation of that desire. I'm pleased with the progress, but I am asking for your help -- both to expand on the stories that I've developed, and also to "find" other "sons and daughters" of Miami Springs whose names belong on the memorial.
What you'll find here is my research of the names on the plaque, as well as additional names that have been overlooked. The internet, military records, and back issues of the Miami Herald have been of some assistance, but I know there is a lot more information out there.
Please pass the word along to your friends and family:
If you have any memorabilia, old yearbooks, photographs, or just good stories about these men of Miami Springs who were loved and lost, I'd really be gratified to hear from you. You can email me at [email protected], and we will see how well we can grow these stories.
Ultimately, I'd like to see more information on the memorial than simply the names. Perhaps we could add other information such as dates of birth and death; where they served; their rank, unit and service branch; and any decorations they may have earned. But, one step at a time...
Here are our men, with the basics I was able to track. Some of the information, as you'll see, will benefit from additional research.
From World War II:
WO Walter Dressler Kniffin, USMC, died February 23, 1945 at Iwo Jima. Age 42.
CPL Elmer F. Park, Army Tank Corps, died May 31, 1944 near Rome, Italy. Age 24.
T4 Joseph A. Whitesell, Army Joint Assault Signal Corps, died July 10, 1944 at Saipan. Age 20.
From the Vietnam War:
PFC Fred Butler, III, USMC, died February 22, 1969 in Quang Nam, South Vietnam. Age 20.
SPC4 Ronald O'Rourke, Army, died August 25, 1966 in Binh Dong, South Vietnam. Age 19.
PFC James W. Brock III, USMC, died November 4, 1967 in Quang Tri, South Vietnam. Age 20.
PFC Bruce Wayne Carter, USMC, died August 7, 1969 Quang Tri, South Vietnam, age 19. Awarded Congressional Medal of Honor, posthumously. Miami's VA Hospital is named the Bruce W. Carter Medical Center in his honor.
Additional research and your helpful leads have turned up additional "missing men" from the Vietnam era and beyond:
WOC Robert T. Anton, Army, died February 18, 1969 during pilot training at Ft. Wolters, Texas, age 18.
PFC Bruce Martin Benzing, Army (Airborne), died November 20, 1967 Kontum, South Vietnam, age 24.
CPL Robert Emmet Cain, Army (Airborne), died May 20, 1969 near Thua Thien, South Vietnam, age 20.
PFC Robert Leslie "Bob" Cornell, USMC, died April 30, 1967 Quang Tri, South Vietnam, age 19.
Airman Basic Joseph Charles Guerriero, Air Force, died October 1, 1968 during basic training near San Antonio, Texas, age 19.
PFC Edward Michael "Mickey" Misiuta, USMC, died March 1, 1968 Quang Tri, South Vietnam, age 20.
SPC4 Elpidio Juan Ravelo-Toribio, Jr., Army, died October 5, 1970 of wounds sustained 14 July in Quang Ngai, S. Vietnam, age 20.
CPL Guillermo "Billy" San Pedro, Jr., USMC, died October 23, 1983 in the terrorist bomb attack in Beirut, Lebanon, age 19.
Again, please drop me a note at [email protected] with any information (or contacts, or leads to contacts) you're able to provide. Thanks so much.
Sincerely,
Bill Tallman, Editor
What you'll find here is my research of the names on the plaque, as well as additional names that have been overlooked. The internet, military records, and back issues of the Miami Herald have been of some assistance, but I know there is a lot more information out there.
Please pass the word along to your friends and family:
If you have any memorabilia, old yearbooks, photographs, or just good stories about these men of Miami Springs who were loved and lost, I'd really be gratified to hear from you. You can email me at [email protected], and we will see how well we can grow these stories.
Ultimately, I'd like to see more information on the memorial than simply the names. Perhaps we could add other information such as dates of birth and death; where they served; their rank, unit and service branch; and any decorations they may have earned. But, one step at a time...
Here are our men, with the basics I was able to track. Some of the information, as you'll see, will benefit from additional research.
From World War II:
WO Walter Dressler Kniffin, USMC, died February 23, 1945 at Iwo Jima. Age 42.
CPL Elmer F. Park, Army Tank Corps, died May 31, 1944 near Rome, Italy. Age 24.
T4 Joseph A. Whitesell, Army Joint Assault Signal Corps, died July 10, 1944 at Saipan. Age 20.
From the Vietnam War:
PFC Fred Butler, III, USMC, died February 22, 1969 in Quang Nam, South Vietnam. Age 20.
SPC4 Ronald O'Rourke, Army, died August 25, 1966 in Binh Dong, South Vietnam. Age 19.
PFC James W. Brock III, USMC, died November 4, 1967 in Quang Tri, South Vietnam. Age 20.
PFC Bruce Wayne Carter, USMC, died August 7, 1969 Quang Tri, South Vietnam, age 19. Awarded Congressional Medal of Honor, posthumously. Miami's VA Hospital is named the Bruce W. Carter Medical Center in his honor.
Additional research and your helpful leads have turned up additional "missing men" from the Vietnam era and beyond:
WOC Robert T. Anton, Army, died February 18, 1969 during pilot training at Ft. Wolters, Texas, age 18.
PFC Bruce Martin Benzing, Army (Airborne), died November 20, 1967 Kontum, South Vietnam, age 24.
CPL Robert Emmet Cain, Army (Airborne), died May 20, 1969 near Thua Thien, South Vietnam, age 20.
PFC Robert Leslie "Bob" Cornell, USMC, died April 30, 1967 Quang Tri, South Vietnam, age 19.
Airman Basic Joseph Charles Guerriero, Air Force, died October 1, 1968 during basic training near San Antonio, Texas, age 19.
PFC Edward Michael "Mickey" Misiuta, USMC, died March 1, 1968 Quang Tri, South Vietnam, age 20.
SPC4 Elpidio Juan Ravelo-Toribio, Jr., Army, died October 5, 1970 of wounds sustained 14 July in Quang Ngai, S. Vietnam, age 20.
CPL Guillermo "Billy" San Pedro, Jr., USMC, died October 23, 1983 in the terrorist bomb attack in Beirut, Lebanon, age 19.
Again, please drop me a note at [email protected] with any information (or contacts, or leads to contacts) you're able to provide. Thanks so much.
Sincerely,
Bill Tallman, Editor