ROTC Students Build Veterans Memorial Garden

BAY ST. LOUIS -- ROTC students at Bay High held dedication ceremonies May 22 for a Veterans Memorial Garden they built on the school grounds to honor fallen soldiers.

Lt. Robert C. Onteto-Sikorski is the first soldier's name added to the memorial, etched into a brick. He died Oct. 31, 2005, during a combat mission for Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Ontenus-Sekorski, 33, was a native of Bay St. Louis. The company officer was leader of the Army's 155^th Infantry Battalion.

Read and view more about the Veterans Memorial Garden at WLOX-TV 13.

Sgt. Lerando Brown Jr.

The one-year anniversary of the death of Sgt. Lerando Brown occurred during mid-March.

He was one of two South Mississippi natives who were killed in early 2008, including Maj. Michael Lee Green of Gautier, who died in January last year. 

Brown, 27, died of a gunshot wound to his chest March 14 in Iraq, five days before the 5-year anniversary of the start of the Iraq War. March 19, 2009, marked six years.  

Brown was a resident of Poplarville, where his family included wife Candice, a step-son, and his own young son.  

 

A native of Gulfport, he had attended Harrison Central High.  

Funeral services were held at Harts Baptist Church in Poplarville. 

Fire fund established for Army guardsman

A fund has been set up at Hancock Bank to help an Army National guardsman replace his home, personal belongings and household furnishing lost during a fire this week in Hancock County.

Randy Ladner just barely made it out of his family home on Firetower Road before flames killed his cat, according to reporter Al Showers at Biloxi's V-13 www.wlox.com. Ironically, the feline had alerted Ladner to the blaze.

The guardsman is a member of the 155^th Infantry Battlion, which is about to be deployed overseas. This will be the second deployment for Ladner.

According to the news report, the guardsman lost everything in the early morning blaze, including his uniforms.

Donations may be made to the Randy Ladner Fire Fund at any branch of Hancock Bank.