Etched in Stone: A memorial to former ESD students lost in military service

The Edmonds School District memorial, now located in the Edmonds Memorial Cemetery, commemorates the lives of former students who lost their lives in military service to the United States. The memorial, which was originally dedicated in 1948 to those lost in World Wars I and II, bears witness to many types of sacrifice — some lost in battle, others to accidents, disease or the harsh conditions of war.

Among those listed as “missing” is Navy Seaman Second Class Charles Lutton. At just 18 years old, Lutton was swept overboard in rough seas while attempting to repair the steering gear on the SS Pennmar, a merchant ship sailing in convoy from Halifax to Liverpool in 1942. The ship was sunk by a German U-boat two days later. Lutton, who had he not enlisted would have graduated from Edmonds High School, represents the quiet bravery of those who never made it home.

On the other side of the world, Seaman Second Class Carl Trager’s name is inscribed on the Tablets of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial Cemetery. A 1944 graduate of Edmonds High School, Trager was serving aboard the aircraft carrier USS Franklin when it was struck by two bombs near Japan on March 19, 1945. The attack claimed 631 lives.

Losses from earlier conflicts are also memorialized. Private First Class Frank Freese and Private Victor Hansen, both born in Edmonds, died on the same day—Oct. 19, 1918—near the end of World War I. Freese died in combat near Bantheville, France, and was posthumously awarded the Croix de Guerre for bravery by the French government. He is buried in the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery. In his honor, the American Legion in Edmonds was named the Frank W. Freese American Legion Post 66. Hansen died of pneumonia while training in California, a casualty of the Spanish Flu pandemic.

From more recent conflicts, the memorial also honors United States Army Specialist Ronald Paschall, born in Lynnwood. Paschall was killed on April 2, 1972, just six days before completing his tour in Vietnam. He died while rescuing a fellow soldier from a downed helicopter in Quang Tri and was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star. His remains were repatriated in 1993, and he was buried with honors at Arlington National Cemetery.

Another name etched in stone is that of USMC Corporal Steven Rintamaki, a Meadowdale High School graduate and Lynnwood resident. Rintamaki, who had once appeared in Nordstrom advertisements as a child, was killed in action in Iraq’s Anbar Province in 2004. A military occupational specialist, he was laid to rest at Evergreen-Washelli Cemetery following a funeral attended by hundreds.

These individuals are among dozens honored on the memorial, which has moved several times over the years. Originally placed in Alderwood Manor in 1948, the memorial was later located at Lynnwood Junior High School and in front of the Edmonds Historical Society museum. At one point it was left on surplus district property, but in 1982, retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Bill Crump — then Commander of American Legion Post 66 — led the effort to relocate and restore the memorial. Crump’s work also expanded its scope to include those lost in the Korean and Vietnam wars.

What makes the memorial especially poignant is how many names reflect losses not directly tied to combat. Some died in training accidents; others in vehicle or plane crashes or from illness. One soldier, a Korean War casualty, died when a bunker collapsed while he slept—tragically, after surviving service in World War II. Three service members perished in a hurricane or shipwreck. These stories remind us that the risks of military service extend far beyond the battlefield.

For those who did die in combat, their stories are often intertwined with the most harrowing moments in our nation’s history. Locations like Guadalcanal, Meuse-Argonne, Quang Tri and Anbar have become lasting symbols of sacrifice. The memorial also recognizes sailors lost aboard renowned U.S. warships including the Langley, Helena and Franklin.

The Edmonds School District owes much of the preserved history to the work of author and historian Betty Lou Gaeng. In 2010, the Sno-Isle Genealogical Society published Etched in Stone, a book documenting the stories behind the names — a tribute to the young men of Edmonds School District who gave their lives in service.

Since the memorial’s original dedication on May 31, 1948, new names have been added to recognize those killed in the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Global War on Terror — including those lost in the Sept. 11 attack on the Pentagon and in operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The current memorial site in Edmonds Memorial Cemetery was rededicated on May 28, 2018. A plaque nearby reads: “It is only fitting that several of the young men whose names are etched into the stone face of the memorial rest nearby.”

Their stories — of courage, tragedy and sacrifice — remain a solemn reminder of the cost of service, and the enduring gratitude of a community that remembers them.

The Edmonds School District memorial is located at the Edmonds Memorial Cemetery.