Hundreds gather at Pecan Grove Cemetery to remember the fallen who protected the country's freedom

Ridgeview Memorial Park ceremony honors service men and women of McKinney, Collin County

Organized by veteran Harry McKillop, Congressman and former Prisoner of War Sam Johnson and Congressman Ralph Hall were among many city and county dignitaries who shared a moment of silence when the names of the fallen were read aloud by McKinney Fire Chief Mark Wallace.

Pictured in the above photo from left are Congressman Sam Johnson, sitting, veteran and former McKinney Armed Services board member Bill Dowdy of McKinney, Harry McKillop, who organizes the annual Pecan Grove Cemetery Memorial Day ceremony, long-time McKinney resident, former McKinney Community Development Corporation board member and businesswoman Gerry Ruschhaupt, sitting in a red jacket, and Mayor Bill Whitfield standing at the podium addressing the crowd at the Pecan Grove Cemetery Memorial Day ceremony.

An emotional Mayor Bill Whitfield, whose last day in office will be May 31, thanked everyone for attending the ceremony and introduced his friends, Hall and Johnson as he gave a brief history of the men's political history. Members of the McKinney Fire Department's Pipes and Drum band performed "Amazing Grace."

McKinney resident James West, who is the Assistant Scout Master of the Boy Scout Troop No. 303 introduced the troop to the crowd and recognized the members' placement of American flags on graves of veterans at Pecan Grove Cemetery. West also mentioned that a former Boy Scout Troop No. 303 member Brian Smith died while serving in the US Army during the Iraq War in 2004. West recognized Smith's parents, Bill and Linda Smith, and Linda Smith, who attended the ceremony, along with Linda Smith's father, Bill Benton, who is a World War II veteran and was born in McKinney.

During the afternoon on May 25 many people gathered to remember the men who died in battle or during training exercises, or while in service who are buried at Ridgeview Memorial Park, located just outside of McKinney and where hundreds of former McKinney residents are buried.

Pictured in the photo on the left is McKinney Fire Chief Mark Wallace reading the names of fallen soldiers and airmen who died while serving in the US Armed Service.

Vietnam War veteran Ronnie Foster, a member of the McKinney Armed Services Committee that is organizing fund-raising for the Veterans Memorial that will be built in Craig Ranch, read the names and brief bios of the men who died in the line of duty.

Some of those men include Cpl. Darrell "George" Mahan, who served in the United States Marine Corps and who died on Aug. 19, 1967 when the Jeep he was riding was ambushed by a group of Viet Cong in the Vietnam War; Charles W. "Bill" Bryan who also was a Marine who also died in the Vietnam War; and Specialist 5th Class Martin LeRoy Rodgers who served in the US Army and died on July 26, 1970.

Pictured in the photo on the far left are McKinney Armed Services board member Ronnie Foster, on left, and Jim Nichols, Commander of the VFW Post 2150. Pictured on the photo second from the left is Harry McKillop speaking into the microphone and thanking the guests of the 25th Annual Pecan Grove Cemetery Memorial Day ceremony.

Photos by Brandi Hart / McKinneyUpdate.com

Pictured in the photo on the left is McKinney City Council member for District 3 Travis Ussery, on left, who is speaking to life long McKinney resident Ridgell McKinney, 95, at the Pecan Grove Cemetery Memorial Day ceremony. Ridgell McKinney is the great-great-grandson of Collin McKinney, for which McKinney is named for and for whom Collin County is named for. Both men caught up on McKinney history after the event as Ussery's late father, Travis Leon Ussery, Sr. is a former McKinney mayor.

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