Virtual Wall of Honor
Scroll below to visit our Virtual Wall of Honor. These are veterans who lived at the lake, or are important to our Lake residents. There are great photos and stories, so enjoy!
Add your veteran to our Virtual Wall of Honor
Do you live at the lake? Did you know a Veteran that lived at the lake? Do you call the Lake your home-away-from-home?
If any of these apply to you, and you want to honor or remember a Veteran, please complete and submit the form below. Adding them to our VIRTUAL Wall of Honor is free.
Ronald Maxey
Lance Corporal
US Marine Corps
July 1970 - July 1973
Born June 30, 1933, Died July 21, 2021
Husband of Debbie
Began fishing with Pop Maxey after the draw for lots and called Lake Cherokee home 1989 - 2020
Lived. Loved. Worked. Served. Gave.
George Courville
Fire Control Technician 1 (E4)
US Navy
Korean War
Born June 30, 1933, Died July 21, 2021
Husband of Lake resident Marge Courville
Father of Lake residents Katheryn Johnston & Karen Torres
Lived at the Lake in his later years with his wife and daughter. Enjoyed fishing off the dock and walking the lake roads.
Efton Heath
Private
US Army (“National Army”)
World War I June 27, 1918 - June 27, 1919
Company D, 20th Machine Gun Battalion
Born March 5, 1896
Grandfather of Alan Heath
Father of Harold Heath
Lived at Lake Cherokee as a senior citizen and loved to fish.
Harold Heath
Seaman
US Navy
Korean War
Radio Operator
Most Significant Duty Assignment: USS Des Moines
Navy Occupation Medal, National Defense Ribbon
Born October 7, 1933 in Alto, Texas
Father of Alan Heath
Son of Efton Heath
Bought a Lake Cherokee lot around 1967 and passed it down to his son. Active in tournament bass fishing and loved living on the lake.
Miguel Fabbiani
Master Sergeant
US Army
1996 - 2018
Operation Enduring Freedom I
Operation Iraqi Freedom I, II, III, and IV
Bronze star with “V” x 3 ea
Lives on the Lake with his wife. Founding member of Friends of Lake Cherokee Veterans Memorial
Husband of Tracie Fabbiani
Norman Alexander
Private
US Army
September 1942-October 21, 1945
Awarded 4 Bronze Stars in Central Europe, Air Offensive Europe, Normandy, & Northern France, Good Conduct Medal, Combat Infantry
Father of Sue Wilson
William Edward Bussey, DDS
Captain
US Army Dental Corps
Vietnam Era
Madigan General Hospital, Ft. Lewis, Washington
Son of David & Grayce Bussey NE-37
Father of Kelly Todd Bussey SB-64
Brother of Charles Bruce Bussey NG-10
Brother of David Byron Bussey, Major, Special Forces, Green Beret
Lives on Lake Cherokee with wife, Debra NL-45
Toured Lake Cherokee before it filled with water, 1947
Meno Joseph Stallone, Jr.
Lieutenant Colonel
US Air Force
26 years of service before and after the Vietnam Era
Grandfather of Katie and Bennett Johnston
Father in Law of Steve Johnston
Photo is from his days as a flight instructor
Joan McConnell Newman
First Lieutenant, Army Nurse
US Army
1956 - 1958
Stationed at Ft. Belvoir, Virginia
Mother of Mary Jo Waddell
Wife of Stanley Newman
Stanley James Newman
Naval Communications
US Navy
1953 - 1962
Father of Mary Jo Waddell
Husband of Joan McConnell Newman
Carlos Newman
US Army
2007 - Current
Nephew of Mary Jo Waddell
Volunteer at Lake Cherokee Veterans Memorial - 4th of July display
Les Knutson
US Coast Guard
1942 - 1946
Father of Jan Knutson Stell McAfee
Radarman
2022/23 List of Veterans
When the idea of the Lake Cherokee Veterans Memorial was a glimmer in our eyes, many Lake residents supported the Memorial through contributions to CWC. CWC held this money in a fund until Summer of 2024 when the fund was transferred to the newly formed Lake Cherokee Community Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
Below are the names of individuals and organizations who those original donors wished to honor. The names are in no particular order.
William “Bill” Braziel by Kimberly Braziel Harris
David & Grayce Bussey by Bill Bussey
Jerrell T. Johnson, brother of Jeanne Collins
The new Space Force by Bob & Penny Dant
Ronny Maxey, US Marine Corps by Debbie Maxey
Les Knutson by Jan Stell McAfee
Pierce J. McDaniel & Sam R. Funderburk by the Funderburk Family
Bill Lakey, WW2 & Korean War by Robert & Sharon Lakey
Robert Mitcheltree, died in Vietnam in 1971, by Cathy Lightfoot
Van Mooneyham, US Marine Corps, by Cathy Hite
Ronnie Irwin by Kenneth W. Pope
Adolphus Avery, Jr., Air Force Chief Warrant Officer W4, by Allen A. & Brenda C. Avery
James C. Treadway by James Treadway
James Wilburn Fowler, US Army Air Forces WW2, by Karen K. Franklin
LTC David Stoles, US Marine Corps, by Barrett & Lindsay Newsom
Mr & Mrs O.H Grissom and Charlotte Brelsford, by William Brelsford
Gale Sessions, US Navy, Vietnam Era, and
Emmett “Bud” Simmermann, US Army, WW2, by Buddy & Selena Simmermann
A.B. (Doc) White & Ray P. Oden, Jr. by Gordon White
“All who serve” by Jim & Pam Betts
Juilliard V. Carr Jr. & Julliard V. Carr Sr. by Sara Carr
Major Charles H. Hickman & Col. Charles (Chuck) Freeman (Retired) by Enoch & Gaye Freeman
Lt. Col. Karl K. Cunyus, US Air Force, by Bruce & Patti Cunyus
Lt. Col. Karl K. Cunyus, US Air Force, by Karla Cristi & Lauren Cunyus
Leroy Greenwood, Uncle of Ronald D. Stevenson
“All who served” by David Trusty
Vietnam Era Veterans by George Strunk
Mary Nowak by Jeanne Collins & The Bridge Club at Lake Cherokee