March 19, 2023
Pocatello–Miguel Dominic, historian of the Bannock County Veterans Memorial Building, is passionate about ensuring that no local veteran is allowed to vanish into the mists of history. His latest project was to convert the edge of a dropped ceiling in the Coffee Shop, formerly adorned with license plates, into a Wall of Valor honoring Bannock County’s service members from World War I to the present.
The Wall is filled with four- by six-inch photos of nearly 200 local men and women who answered their country’s call, beginning with Bannock County’s Medal of Honor recipient: US Marine Corps Sergeant James Edmund Johnson, who was killed in action during the Korean War. All branches of the Armed Forces are represented, except the Space Force. Their symbols grace the center of the display, above a composite photo of the Veterans Building in its early days. Dominic explained that an image of a battlefield cross also has a prominent position, “to represent those who didn’t make it home.”
Now that all the photos have been placed, the Wall will be protected by a layer of Plexiglas. Someday, Dominic envisions extending it around the room as future generations of American service members are added. “It’s not just for one organization or veterans’ group,” he said. “It’s to keep alive the memories of all the vets.”
