Names On The Wall Project

Volunteer Opportunity Honors Vets

The Torrance Historical Society Board persists in its project to gather and preserve the too-short life story of each of the 146 Torrance military personnel who gave their lives in service to country. Using the scant information from local public records, the Society provided study guides and enlisted the help of the local high schools. During the Spring school semester of 2008, students at North and Torrance High Schools collected information on some of those listed on the Memorial Wall at Torrance Civic Center.

Much remains to be done to achieve the objective. Help is needed. Michael George, Society Board member and Reference Librarian at the Katy Geissert Library, will present two fact finding seminars for volunteer researchers. They will learn techniques for gathering information from yearbooks, newspapers, directories and government records.

Volunteers are urged to contact the Museum at 310.328.5392.

NAMES ON THE WALL
Alvarez, Louis Anzak, Joseph Jr. Bailey, Bernard Barkdull, Olin Beranek, Rudolph Bernasconi, Rudolph Bliefernich, Arnold Brightfield, Ralph Brooks, Kenneth Brown, Clent Bruce, Claude Bruhn, Gary Burkholder, Bryson Byrne, James Caraway Archie Carder, Paul Carter, Michael Carter, Thomas Chavez, Dario Coburn, Ernest Coburn, George Cotner, Morrison Craw, Donald Crawford, Douglas Crocker, Ricardo Crossland, Bert Cruize, Raymond Culverhouse, Leon Cunningham, Dan Daniel, James Dietlin, Francis Dilkess, Thomas Dixon, Michael Dodson, Robert Duarte, Miguel Edwards, Bobby Eisenacher, Charles Ernst, Edward Escobar, George Eversull, Anthony Ferrara, Matthew Fess, John Jr. Flores, Nestor Foley, John Foster, John Franklin, Perry Gifford, Micah Grant, Stephen Grubbs, Gary	Gutierrez, Jose Hamilton, Chelsea Haslet, Thomas Hatter, Robert Heath, Isaac Herlett, James Hill, Alan Hill, John Hill, Ernest, Jr. Isbell, George Johnson, Jesse Jones, Frank Jones, Herman Judge, James Judge, Mark Kandler, Terreace Kessel, Michael Kindrick, Bryce Kirkpatrick, William Lara, Lupe Lewis Stephen Lugo, Anthony Madore, Louis Markwell, Eugene Martin, Thomas Matayoshi, Wallace McMinn, Danny Merkel, Ruben Mitchell, James Moody, Garlan Mullen, Joseph Munoz, Larry Mutschlek, Forrest Nestor, John Newton, James Noble, Robert Nunn, William O'Brien, Richard Obidine, Vladimir Parker, Arthur Pennington, Raymond Plunkett, Milo Price, Theron Price, Thomas Prowten, James Purcell, Gary Quaggin, Fred Ramsey, Floyd Ratliff, Paul	Reynolds, John Richardson, Robert Richhart, Everett Robillard, Larry Roomsburg, Tony Sanderson, Paul Sapp, Warren Scheibler, Clarence Schoolcraft, William Searle, Robert Shaner, Eugene Shimatsu, Akira Simonian, Gregory Sleeth, William Smith, Addison Smith, Christopher Smith, Edgar Snee, Francis Stambook, Robert Stewart, Alex Stewart, William Stone, Gregory Strieker, Eugene Strobridge, Rodney Tamura, Osamu Tanouye, Ted Tanouye, Yukiwo Tarrance, William Thayer, Richard Tidwell, Royce Tiffany, Frederick Tudor, Kenneth Vorhis, Leonard Walker, George Wanbaugh, Ronald Washer, Richard Watson, Earl Webster, Frank Wensel, Norman West, Walter Weymouth, Theodore Wilcox, Ivan Williams, Larry Williams, Thomas Wissel, Walter Wood, Brian Works, Charles Wright, Thomas
146

Charlie Saulinas, Vietnam War Veteran, reading the 146 Names on the Wall in 2020 Remembering Those Who Served and Gave Their Lives.

Normally, that means before COVID crept into our lives, on Memorial Day, the Torrance Historical Society conducts a memorial service for Torrance service personnel who gave their lives in U.S. military actions. The program takes place on the Memorial Plaza at the corner of Torrance Blvd. and Maple Ave., and includes the reading of the 146 Names on the Wall. Those Names include war losses from World War I to those in the Iraq and Afghanistan War.

However, in an abundance of caution, the Torrance Historical Society, adhering to the social distancing rules in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, gathered at the Memorial Wall without an audience for a reading of the names, May 20, 2020. There was one reader, not seven - Charlie Saulinas, a Vietnam Veteran. Michelle Polcari, President, welcomed the virtual crowd, and Jerry Ronan, Coordinator of the event, lead the Flag Salute. It was simple. It was poignant. It was tradition.

The Torrance Historical Society conducts a memorial service for Torrance service personnel who gave their lives in U. S. military actions. The program includes the reading of the 146 Names on the Wall. Those names include war losses from World War I to those in the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars. This is read on the Monday of Memorial Day each year. Check our Event page each year for exact details in case of changes. Normally the info below is correct.

What: Names on the Wall Remembrance
When: Memorial Day - Monday, 2:00 PM (see location)
Location: City of Torrance Veterans' Memorial Wall at Memorial Plaza, Torrance Blvd. at Maple at 2:00PM
Cost: Free and open to the public
Info: If you have any questions or would like additional information, our event page or call the Museum at (310) 328-5392.

"On Monday, we will be grateful for the gift of those who never came home. We will remember -- every day is Memorial Day. We will pray that we may never add another name to that cold, black wall," noted Jerry Ronan, retired Torrance Historical Society Board Member and WWII Veteran.

We will also remember Jerry Ronan, past Torrance Historical Society Board Member and WWII Veteran who started the Names on the Wall Project. Jerry caught the last train out on December 9th, 2021. He was 95. May he rest in peace.

CitiCABLE aired the Reading on Memorial Day , Monday, May 25, 2020 at 7:00 AM, 4:30 PM, and 7:30 PM PST. See the event on YouTube