Moment of Silence for Granite Mountain Hotshots
On June 30, 2015, the City of Prescott commemorated the Granite Mountain Hotshots, 19 members of which were tragically lost on June 30, 2013. About 200 members of the public came out to the brief ceremony on the north steps of the Yavapai County Courthouse.
The ceremony began with the Posting of Colors by an interagency Honor Guard of firefighters at 4:35 p.m. There was a moment of silence at 4:42 p.m., the official time of death of the crewmembers, followed by the ringing of the Courthouse bell 19 times. Flags at all city and county facilities were flown at half-staff.
Prescott Fire Chief Don Devendorf spoke to the crowd about the mixed feelings many had for the word “anniversary” of the deaths the Hotshots, noting that the word was often used in conjunction with joyous occassions, yet the day was not.
The nineteen members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots who perished were: Eric Marsh, 43 years old, a native of Ashe County, North Carolina, who served as the crew’s superintendent; Jesse Steed, 36 years old, a native of Cottonwood, Arizona, who served as the crew’s captain; Clayton Whitted, 28 years old, a native of Prescott, Arizona; Robert Caldwell, 23 years old, a native of Prescott, Arizona, and the cousin of Grant McKee, who also perished battling the Yarnell Hill Fire; Travis Carter, 31 years old, a native of Prescott, Arizona; Christopher MacKenzie, 30 years old, a native of Hemet, California; Travis Turbyfill, 27 years old, a native of Prescott, Arizona; Andrew Ashcraft, 29 years old, a native of Prescott, Arizona; Joe Thurston, 32 years old, a native of Cedar City, Utah; Wade Parker, 22 years old, a native of Chino Valley, Arizona; Anthony Rose, 23 years old, a native of Zion, Illinois; Garret Zuppiger, 27 years old, a native of Phoenix, Arizona; Scott Norris, 28 years old, a native of Prescott, Arizona; Dustin DeFord, 24 years old, a native of Baltimore, Maryland, raised in Ekalaka, Montana; William “Billy” Warneke, 25 years old, a native of Hemet, California; Kevin Woyjeck, 21 years old, a native of Seal Beach, California; John Percin, Jr., 24 years old, a native of West Linn, Oregon; Grant McKee, 21 years old, a native of Newport Beach, California, and the cousin of Robert Caldwell, who also perished battling the Yarnell Hill Fire; and Sean Misner, 26 years old, a native of Goleta, California.