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Drake County Daily Advocate, June 1, 2006 Historical marker dedicated to four pararescuemen, including Greenville man by Tom Fink COVINGTON - Over 100 guests and dignitaries gathered Saturday, May 27, at Miami Memorial Park Cemetery in Covington to dedicate an Ohio Historical Marker to four local pararescuemen who died while attempting to save lives and provide aid to the injured. On Feb. 15, 2005, Senate Bill 156 designated State Route 48 as USAF Pararescue Memorial Parkway. The road honors the memory of all pararescuemen who died while performing their duties. It is also a tribute to the air rescue men and women who sacrificed their lives so “That Others May Live,” their official motto. The motto reaffirms the pararescuemen’s commitment to saving lives and self-sacrifice. Pararescuemen have saved the lives of thousands of service members and civilians in past conflicts and natural disasters. This selfless devotion is the finest example of Air Force core values, according to event attendees. Pararescuemen MSgt. Bill McDaniel ll, Greenville; A1C James Pleiman, Russia; SSgt. William Pitsenbarger, Piqua; and Sgt. James D. Locker, Sidney, were killed in action while attempting to save lives. The Reverend Dr. Robert L. Potts (Gen. Patton re-enactor) led the invocation and introduced invited guests and speakers during the dedication ceremony. Guests attending the dedication included: Dr. J.D. Britton of the Ohio Historical Society, keynote speaker Wayne Fisk, state Rep. Diana Fessler and Covington Mayor Lowell Yingst. Pararescueman John Pierson and the USAF WPAFB Color Guard presented colors and played bagpipes. “These men knew their duty well,” Fisk said. “We are here today to honor and remember these pararescuemen.” After Fisk’s closing remarks, family members and relatives unveiled the marker dedicated to the pararescuemen as a rolling thunder of motorcycles roared nearby. The marker project took over a year and was cast by Sewah Studios, located in Marietta, Ohio. There are currently about 1,200 historical markers located throughout Ohio. Pararescuemen, also known as PJs, are specifically trained and equipped to conduct conventional and unconventional rescue operations. A pararescueman is a personnel recovery specialist with emergency medical capabilities in humanitarian and combat environments. They deploy in any available manner into restricted environments to authenticate, extract, treat, stabilize and evacuate injured personnel, while acting in an enemy-evading recovery role. PJs participate in search and rescue missions, recovery support for NASA and other operations. Pararescuemen are among the most highly trained emergency trauma specialists in the U.S. military. With this medical and rescue expertise and their deployment capabilities, pararescuemen are able to perform life-saving missions in the world’s most dangerous and remote areas in all climates day or night. Pararescuemen complete the same technical training as EMT paramedics plus physical and specialized training. Other training courses include: Airborne, Basic Survival, Free Fall Parachutist and Combat Divers School. For more information about the four pararescuemen honored and the dedication, go to: www.PJParkway.org, the offical web site of the USAF Pararescue Memorial Parkway. - Tod Fink is a staff writer for the Daily Advocate. He can be reached at tfink@dailyadvocate.com. |
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