So reads the inscription on a stone memorial that will be dedicated Friday in Enumclaw, honoring the memory of two Fort Lewis Army pilots and their crew chief.

They died when their helicopter crashed on Mount Peak south of the city in December 2006.

Representatives from the families of two of the men plan to attend the 11 a.m. ceremony at Veterans Park, 1151 Roosevelt Ave., next to Highway 410. They also will be grand marshals of the city’s annual July 4 Stars and Stripes celebration parade, which begins at 6 p.m. downtown.

The three men honored are pilots Chief Warrant Officer Patrick Paige, 32, and Chief Warrant Officer James Whitehead, 33, and crew chief Sgt. Thomas Clarkston, 25. All were members of D Troop, 4th Squadron, 6th U.S. Cavalry Regiment, which was stationed at Fort Lewis at the time of the crash.

The unit is now deployed in Iraq and expected to return late this summer or in early fall.

The crew was flying a UH-60 Black Hawk on a night training mission preparing for the overseas deployment when they crashed in snowy weather.

The memorial is a project of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1949 in Enumclaw, explained George Rossman, a post member and former Enumclaw mayor.

Rossman said the memorial was prompted by an article in The News Tribune a few weeks after the crash about the memorial service at Fort Lewis for the three men, all fathers. The service brought together 800 family members, friends and fellow soldiers.

The result is a 7-foot-by-4-foot slab of Wilkeson sandstone with a plaque that recalls the men’s sacrifice. The stone was donated by the Wilkeson Sandstone Quarry.

Capt. Ricky Thomas from the squadron will speak at the dedication. Though the family members said they didn’t want to speak, they did want to meet members of the community. So a reception line will form after the dedication.

Veterans Memorial Park honors local veterans who have served in the Armed Forces. It’s also the site of a Purple Heart memorial.

Mike Archbold: 253-597-8692