Fallen lawmen to be honored at ceremony

Three local lawmen who died in the line of duty decades ago will be honored Thursday at the Law Enforcement Memorial Ceremony.

The public is invited to the event, scheduled for 11 a.m. in the courtyard of the Clark County Public Service Center, 1300 Franklin St.

The Medal of Honor will be awarded posthumously to Deputy Sheriff Wilfred Rorison, Sheriff Lester Wood and Deputy Martin S. Sowder. Surviving family members for each will accept the medal on their behalf.

Rorison was a 26-year-old newly hired deputy on Aug. 7, 1922, when he was killed by gunfire while raiding an illegal still in Stevenson.

Wood was shot and killed while looking for a still in the Yacolt area on May 22, 1927.

Sowder was shot and killed by a suspect in an armed robbery who had fled in a vehicle on Nov. 18, 1976.

The event recognizes the sacrifice made by law enforcement for the community and public safety. Across the nation, 127 officers were killed in the line of duty in 2014.

The memorial will include the posting of the colors, an address by state Rep. Lynda Wilson, R-Vancouver, and a performance by a Portland Police Highland Guard bagpiper.