The International Towing & Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum added twenty-eight new names to the Wall of the Fallen during its recent annual ceremony honoring towing and road service operators who have died in the line of service.
The names include those from previous years as the details of fatalities become known. In all, the Wall of the Fallen now has over 450 names of men and women who have lost their lives while serving the motoring public in the towing and road service industry. (See below for complete list of towing operator names added in 2019.)
The Wall of the Fallen ceremony seeks to honor towing operators whose lives were cut short and the Survivor Fund provides a one-time gift to the families. Survivors’ families also receive a Certificate of Honor at the ceremony.
“It is with great sadness that we find ourselves in a position that requires the Wall of the Fallen,” stated Jeffrey Godwin, Wall of the Fallen and Survivor Fund co-chairman. “Despite the tragedy represented, we do find comfort in honoring our fallen operators and in serving their families in their time of loss.”
The annual ceremony also aims to boost motorists’ awareness of Move Over laws in effect in all 50 states that require drivers to move over one lane and/or slow down when approaching an emergency vehicle.
Annually, the motoring public’s failure to slow down or move over, in addition to drunken or negligent driving, unnecessarily claims many towers’ lives.
2019 Wall of the Fallen
(in alphabetical order)
| Honoree Name | State | Year |
| Phillip F. Amsden | IN | 2010 |
| Patric Noel Barrio | TX | 2019 |
| Michael Charles Buffington | MS | 2019 |
| Patrick Cisneros | NM | 2019 |
| Garold L. Cline | WV | 2018 |
| Jerry E. Davenport | AR | 2018 |
| Ernest Linden Dean | KY | 1945 |
| Steven E. Eldridge | NC | 2019 |
| Erwin Mendoza Geremillo | CA | 2019 |
| Trevor A. Haas | IL | 2018 |
| Richard Arturo Hernandez | CA | 1999 |
| Jesse Hettmann | WI | 2019 |
| Keith Holt, Sr. | TX | 2019 |
| Elwood Allan Humphries | VA | 2018 |
| Clarence C. Jones, Jr. | PA | 1963 |
| Charles C. McGough | TX | 2018 |
| Juan Manuel Morga | CA | 2018 |
| James Robert Morris | CA | 2019 |
| Terrell Dean Pack | TX | 2019 |
| Willie J. Passmore, Jr. | NE | 2011 |
| Edgar Arthur Pilon | Canada | 1954 |
| Kevin B. Raasch | KS | 2019 |
| Clarence Hugh Souther, Jr. | GA | 1962 |
| Benny G. Sprinkle | NC | 2019 |
| John L. Stewart | MO | 2018 |
| Paul Wayne Taylor, Jr | TX | 2018 |
| Jason Stuart Throne | IN | 2019 |
| Michael R. White | OK | 2018 |
About ITRHFM
The International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum, located in Chattanooga, TN, houses an array of displays and exhibits showcasing the history of towing and recovery. The rotating collection includes early equipment by Manley, Holmes, Vulcan, and Weaver. The Hall of Fame honors individuals who have significantly advanced the industry. The Museum includes a theater, a library, and a gift shop selling souvenirs related to the towing industry. On the outside grounds is the Wall of the Fallen memorial, dedicated to towers who died in the line of service. The ITRHFM Survivor Fund assists the families of the men and women that have made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of service by providing a uniform financial gift at the time of their loss. ITRHFM is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization and accepts donations for its programs and operations from individuals, corporations and groups.
Learn more at www.towingmuseum.com
