The Miami Springs War Monument was built in 1945.(1) There is currently a campaign underway to refurbish the monument. This is our city’s way of remembering and honoring our fallen.
American Legion Post 32 is collecting donations to refurbish the monument. If you wish to participate, please download the PDF document below. For a donation, you can order a brick or a bench with an engraved message to honor our veterans. If you wish to add a service branch insignia to the margin of your engraving, you may do so by special request for an additional $10.
This is a local effort, so please spread the word. Any assistance is greatly appreciated.
Several years ago, Bill Tallman of The Springs Observer began an effort to research the names on the War Monument as well as additional names that have not yet been included.(2) Tallman had the idea of adding information to the monument such as dates of birth and death, location of service, rank, unit, service branch, and any decorations that they may have earned.
The culmination of Tallman’s research has been reproduced below, and it is being taken into consideration for the monument refurbishment. If you have any names of our local heroes to contribute, now is the time. You may do so by emailing americanlegionpost032@gmail.com.
From World War II:
WO Walter Dressler Kniffin, USMC, died February 23, 1945 at Iwo Jima. Age 42.
CPL Elmer S. Park, Army Tank Corps, died May 31, 1944 near Rome, Italy. Age 24.
T/4 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.
Spc/4 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:
PFC Bruce Martin Benzing, Army (Airborne), died November 20, 1967 Kontum, South Vietnam, age 24.
PFC Robert Leslie “Bob” Cornell, USMC, died April 30, 1967 Quang Tri, South Vietnam, age 19.
CPL Robert Emmet Cain, Army (Airborne), died May 20, 1969 near Thua Thien, South Vietnam, age 20.
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.
Airman Basic Joseph Charles Guerriero, Air Force, died October 1, 1968 during basic training near San Antonio, Texas, age 19.
WOC Robert T. Anton, Army, died February 18, 1969 during pilot training at Ft. Wolters, Texas, age 18.
CPL Guillermo “Billy” San Pedro, Jr., USMC, died October 23, 1983 in the terrorist bomb attack in Beirut, Lebanon, age 19.
Sources:
- https://www.miamisprings-fl.gov/community/war-memorial-cenotaph-monument-proposed-rendition, https://www.facebook.com/MiamiSprings/posts/war-memorial-upgrademilams-markets-is-raising-funds-to-upgrade-the-war-memorial-/10159713142401670/
- http://www.springsobserver.com/war-memorial.html
- https://centennial.legion.org/florida/post32, https://www.floridalegion.org/findpost/southern-area/district-14/post32/