Promoting a Veteran-ready community
The Frisco Veterans Memorial Wall of Honor pays tribute to the brave members of the United States Armed Forces from Frisco whogave their lives in service to our nation. These individuals stood for something greater than themselves — protecting our freedoms and preserving the American way of life.
“A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.”
— President Ronald Reagan
Since the founding of our nation, countless patriots have made the ultimate sacrifice. The City of Frisco, together with its veterans and community, remembers these heroes through engraved plaques displayed on the Wall of Honor at Frisco Commons Park.
In addition to the memorial wall, each fallen service member is also honored with a trail marker along the park’s walking path, sharing their story and honoring their service.
Frisco has proudly answered the call to serve since its establishment in 1902. From World War I to present-day conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, residents have served with courage and honor. We recognize their sacrifices and remain forever grateful for the freedoms they help protect.
In the early days of 1918, Private James F. Sparkman set sail across the Atlantic, bound for the battlefields of World War One. At just 26 years old, his journey was cut short on February 5, when the British troop ship S.S. Tuscania was struck by a torpedo and lost to the sea. It was the first American troop transport sunk during the war, and with it, Sparkman became the first son of Collin County to fall in service.
His memory is enshrined with honor and dignity at Arlington National Cemetery, where he rests among the nation’s heroes.
Amid the ferocious clash of the Battle of Savo Island, Seaman Richard Lloyd Bolton stood among the brave aboard the USS Quincy. On the early morning of August 9, 1942, the cruiser endured a relentless barrage and ultimately succumbed to multiple torpedo strikes. As flames consumed the vessel and the sea claimed its wreckage, 370 sailors, including Seaman Bolton, perished in one of the most tragic naval losses of the war.
His sacrifice, made in the line of duty, echoes as a solemn testament to courage and devotion.
Private Cecil Cleveland Waldrum was killed in action on February 16, 1944, during the Battle of Anzio, Italy. Just seven months after enlisting, he became part of the elite First Special Service Force. While on a mission behind enemy lines, Waldrum and two comrades called in an artillery strike on their own position to prevent capture, sacrificing themselves for the greater good. He was killed, along with most of the enemy forces, while his two comrades survived.
Private Waldrum is honored at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio, Texas, and his portrait is displayed in the Collin County Courthouse as part of the Fallen Warriors Portrait Project.
The Allies’ D-Day invasion of France unfolded on June 6, 1944. Just four days thereafter, Technical Sergeant Mabron Paul Johnson took his place as the top turret gunner aboard the Little Shepard, a B-24 Liberator. Their mission: a daring bombing raid on a German-occupied airfield.
The plane was struck down by enemy fire, and while five of the crew members were captured, TSgt Johnson and three others perished in the wreckage. In that moment, the weight of sacrifice was shared not just by him, but by his family, for his brother, Corporal Kenneth Johnson, too stood in service to his country during the war.
Sergeant Oren Ralph Hill, one of ten children, was 25 years old when he was killed in action on July 21, 1944, — the opening day of the Second Battle of Guam. Guam was strategically important — recapturing it gave the U.S. a critical base for launching air operations against Japan. The battle lasted 21 days before American forces secured the island from Japanese control.
Sergeant Hill’s brother, Army Private Neville Hill, also answered the call to serve, demonstrating the same deep commitment to duty during the war.
In 1943, Private Lee Harold Derryberry left home to serve, joining the 1st Cavalry Division as they fought through the treacherous mountains of Leyte Island in the Philippines. On November 29, 1944, at just 22, he gave his life in battle, striving to push deeper into the Leyte Valley. The fierce campaign claimed more than 15,000 American lives in its wake.
Private Derryberry’s sacrifice is etched in the legacy of a family bound by duty. His brother, Private James Derryberry, and sister, Second Lieutenant Ollie Derryberry, too answered the call of service. Another brother, Captain Jerral Derryberry, was lost in 1943 in a tragic B-17 crash during a training flight in California.
The Battle of Okinawa began on April 1, 1945, with over 180,000 American soldiers landing. Over 82 days, the U.S. lost 458 aircraft, 38 ships, and 7,600 troops. Among the fallen was 24-year-old medic Sidney Gordon Duncan Jr., killed on April 28, 1945, and posthumously awarded the Bronze Star.
His brothers, Norman and Thomas, also served in the Pacific, with Norman earning a Silver Star and two Bronze Stars, and Thomas a Bronze Star. Their grandfather was Frisco’s first postmaster.
The Korean War raged from 1950 to 1953 and claimed a heavy toll of over 55,000 American lives. Corporal Kenneth Jack Hill, just 18 years old, was killed on December 23, 1950. He was serving with the U.S. Army’s 27th Infantry Regiment, the “Wolfhounds,” and died in fierce combat near the Imjin River’s difficult terrain. At the time, he was helping to hold defensive lines and conducting rearguard actions to delay the advancing Communist Chinese and North Korean forces.
His actions enabled other UN troops to withdraw and regroup—when he made the ultimate sacrifice.
Corporal Robert Ray Brown grew up in Frisco during a time of change. He attended segregated schools before Frisco desegregated in 1964, graduating from Frisco High in 1966. After enlisting in the U.S. Army, he served in Germany before being sent to Vietnam with B Company, 4th Battalion, 47th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division. He was killed in action on October 1, 1967, at 20 years old, just three weeks after arriving in the Mekong River Delta.
Due to confusion over his home of record, Corporal Brown’s name was initially left off the KIA Memorial Wall at Frisco Commons but was added in 2016. His portrait now hangs in the Collin County Courthouse, and he is buried at Lincoln Memorial Park in Dallas, Texas, where his sacrifice is remembered.
At 17, Sergeant Michael Luke Boatright enlisted in the U.S. Army National Guard. After 9/11, he transitioned to active duty, committed to a lifelong military career. A true Texan, he loved bull riding, country music, fishing, and hunting.
At 24, he was killed in Baghdad on December 4, 2004, by an improvised explosive device. His mother recalled, “He loved being a soldier and lived by the Army’s values — loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, and personal courage.”
He leaves behind a wife, three children, and a lasting legacy of service and sacrifice.
From a young age, Corporal Peter John Courcy dreamed of serving his country. Peter had always known the military was his calling. He had already carved his path as a hockey star, a fierce wrestler, and a leader at Frisco High School before joining the service.
At the age of 22, Corporal Courcy was taken from us by a vehicle-borne IED in the heart of Afghanistan on February 10, 2009, just two weeks before he was to reunite with his wife and infant son.