The Honor Roll

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Happy Memorial Day.


I am a retired naval officer. The majority of my career was spent in the Navy Medical Corps. I also served during America's longest war. As a result, I was no stranger to the grimmest reminders of the sacrifices required by our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines. I have received casualties at the front, provided care for the injured months and years after their wounds were inflicted, served on notification teams and liaisons for the families of the deceased, and attended too many memorial services. Acknowledging and honoring the service of members of our military, as well as their families, is deeply ingrained in me.

With that in mind, I present our honor roll. The Vokoun family has a long history of service dating to World War I. Here is the roster of family service members that I have thus far accumulated:


World War I

Rudolph W Vokoun Jr - Pharmacist Mate 3C, USN, served on USS Leviathan a converted superliner that carried over 120, 000 troops to Europe.


John R Jellison (son of Anna Vokoun) - PFC, HQ Co 167th Infantry, "Rainbow Division", USA


Clarence J Vokoun Sr. - USA

George A Davidson (husband of Janet Vokoun) - Medic, 135th Ambulance Company, USA

Robert C Schureman (son-in-law of Anna Vokoun) - USA


World War II

Joseph F Vokoun Jr, - 1LT, USA

Bronze Star recipient

Dr. Frank Nordstrom (husband of Judy Fowler Nordstrom) - USN

George F Hlavacka - PFC, USA

Frank J "Bullets" Budilovsky (husband of Harriet Kopriva)

Glen Babcock - Corporal, USMC

Phillip Fowler - Aviation Radio Technician 1C, USN

Perth, Australia

Frank James Vokoun - USN

Joseph Jerry Kopriva

Henry Kopriva - Signalman 3C, USN
 
George P Lilly Jr - PFC, USA

Bruce C Hartman (husband of Bertha Hlavacka) - CAPT, US Army Air Corps

Bert Hlavacka and Bruce Hartman


Henry Rudolph Bohunek - Air Corp USA, Burtonwood Airfield, England

World War II Memorial, Roseville, CA. Henry R Bohunek in 3rd column

Donald Lee Cash (brother-in-law of Henry Bohunek) - Air Corp, USA, KIA Germany April 10 1944

World War 2 Memorial, Hannibal, MO


Korean War era

Dr. Frank Nordstorm - Chief of Pediatrics, Roswell AFB, USAF


Richard C Vokoun - USAF

Howard O Vokoun - USAF

Rudolph W Vokoun III -  Signalman, USN, USS Chemung AO-30


Vietnam era

Daniel L Babcock - Airman, USN

David G Babcock

Ronald Losew (husband of Mary Barbara Jandak)

Donald Losew (husband of Carol Anne Patzka)


Persian Gulf

Scott Vokoun - USN

George DeMarco - Specialist, 1st Cavalry Div, USA


Iraq, Afghanistan

Scott Vokoun - CDR, USN

Afghanistan 2015


I do not believe that this is the full roster. Please let me know whom I have missed! 

Lastly, I am including a letter to the editor of the San Francisco Examiner, it was written by Ella Narcisi Vokoun, the wife of Rudolph W Vokoun Jr. It was published on 9 May 1945, the day after VE Day, 8 May, when Germany surrendered. I will let her poignant words be the final thoughts here.



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