Incident
Private Chester Kuhns died after contracting the Spanish Flu while in the performance of his duties.
Due to the devastation of the Spanish Influenza Pandemic of 1918 members of the Pennsylvania State Police had been ordered to perform duties such as, assisting nurses and doctors in taking care of influenza victims, serve as pallbearers of influenza victims, assisting health officers, transporting victims to and from hospitals, and to police the Borough of Exeter after the two members of their police force succumbed to the influenza.
Private Chester Kuhns had served with the Pennsylvania State Police for 16 months and was assigned to Troop C, Pottsville, present-day Troop L, Reading.
Survivors
He was survived by his parents and four siblings.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
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- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 2026
Honored here by 1 tribute.
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Tributes
You barely got started.
Private Kuhns gave the Pennsylvania State Police 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the people of Pennsylvania. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Private Kuhns.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
The Sacrifice · Illness
Pennsylvania State Police has lost 87 officers; 10 of them lost to illness.
Chester is one of 121 officers lost to illness in PA, 9.6% of the 1,262 remembered there.
Chester is one of 2,028 officers lost to illness in the United States, 7.4% of the 27,551 remembered there.
Chester is one of 2,979 officers lost to illness worldwide, 8.8% of the 33,917 remembered here.
33,917 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.
Time
In 1918, 8 officers at Pennsylvania State Police were lost to illness, more than in any other year.
In 1918, 66 officers in PA were lost to illness, more than in any other year.
In 1918, 226 officers in the United States were lost to illness, the 3rd heaviest of 108 years on record. The heaviest was 2021, with 564.
In 1918, 235 officers worldwide were lost to illness, the 3rd heaviest of 197 years on record. The heaviest was 2021, with 566.
Who
Chester was 29. Of the 10 lost to illness at Pennsylvania State Police whose age is recorded, half were between 26.3 and 34.8; the middle age was 29. Chester had served 1.3 years; the middle length of service was 2 years.
Chester was 29. Of the 121 lost to illness in PA whose age is recorded, half were between 33 and 50; the middle age was 39. Chester had served 1.3 years; the middle length of service was 9.4 years.
Chester was 29. Of the 1,996 lost to illness in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 42 and 58; the middle age was 51. Chester had served 1.3 years; the middle length of service was 20 years.
Chester was 29. Of the 2,916 lost to illness worldwide whose age is recorded, half were between 39 and 56; the middle age was 49. Chester had served 1.3 years; the middle length of service was 20 years.
When
October holds 80% of these deaths at Pennsylvania State Police, more than any other month. Sundays: 30%.
October holds 49.6% of these deaths in PA, more than any other month. Sundays: 17.4%.
October holds 14.9% of these deaths in the United States, more than any other month. Sundays: 14.2%.
October holds 12.6% of these deaths worldwide, more than any other month. Sundays: 13.2%.
How
Illness deaths account for 11.5% of all 87 deaths at Pennsylvania State Police, the 3rd most common cause.
Illness deaths account for 9.6% of all 1,262 deaths in PA, the 3rd most common cause.
Illness deaths account for 7.4% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the 3rd most common cause.
Illness deaths account for 8.8% of all 33,917 deaths worldwide, the 3rd most common cause.
His people
Pennsylvania State Police has 87 officers remembered here, Chester among them.
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John F. Henry
Sep 2, 1906
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Francis A. Zehringer
Sep 2, 1906
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Timothy Kelleher
Sep 14, 1907
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Mark Anthony Prynn
Feb 9, 1909
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John Garscia
Feb 21, 1909
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John L. Williams
Aug 22, 1909
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John Curtis Smith Aug 23, 1909
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Robert V. Myers
Mar 28, 1913
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Andrew W. Czap
Apr 29, 1918
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John Francis Dargus May 31, 1918
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Chester Arthur Kuhns Oct 6, 1918
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Joseph B. Malloy Oct 9, 1918
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Zoe Andrew Remaly Oct 15, 1918
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George Edward Higgins Oct 20, 1918
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Joseph Roland Brown
Oct 22, 1918
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Edward Clarence Jackson
Oct 23, 1918
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John Patrick McLaughlin Oct 24, 1918
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James A. Walsh Dec 15, 1918
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Stanley Webster Christ
Dec 1, 1919
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Benjamin F. McEvoy
Sep 20, 1923
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William John Omlor
Oct 25, 1923
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Francis Leo Haley
Oct 14, 1924
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Edwin Francis Haas
Oct 17, 1924
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Bernard St. Clair McElroy Dec 21, 1924
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Bertram Beech Dec 10, 1925
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Claude Frederick Keesey
Jan 4, 1927
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Thomas Edward Lipka Apr 3, 1927
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John Marion Thomas
May 8, 1927
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John J. Downey
Aug 22, 1927
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Charles Lester Stewart
Jul 18, 1930
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Timothy George McCarthy
May 12, 1931
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James Andrew Seerey
Sep 10, 1934
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Floyd William Maderia
Dec 11, 1934
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John E. Fessler
Apr 23, 1937
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Joseph Andrew Hoffer
Apr 27, 1937
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John A. Ditkosky
Jul 24, 1950
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Floyd Bruce Clouse
Nov 2, 1953
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Joseph Francis McMillen
May 12, 1956
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Philip C. Melley
Nov 3, 1957
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Charles Stanley Stanski, Jr.
Jan 23, 1958
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Edward Mackiw
May 31, 1958
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Stephen R. Gyurke
Aug 24, 1958
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Francis Michael Tessitore
Aug 5, 1960
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Anthony Bensch
Oct 3, 1961
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Edward William Gundel
Mar 18, 1962
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Richard Gilbert Barnhart
Aug 8, 1964
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Gary Richard Rosenberger
Dec 12, 1970
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John Severin Valent
Dec 9, 1971
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Robert D. Lapp, Jr.
Oct 16, 1972
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Bruce Clark Rankin
Apr 25, 1973
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Ross Edmond Snowden
Jan 17, 1974
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Leo Michael Koscelnick
Aug 15, 1977
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Joseph John Welsch
Sep 13, 1977
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Wayne Carl Ebert
Jun 7, 1978
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Albert Joseph Izzo
Jun 13, 1979
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David Dominick Monahan
Apr 17, 1980
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Herbert A. Wirfel
Feb 7, 1982
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William Richard Evans
Jan 6, 1983
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Frank Joseph Bowen
Oct 26, 1983
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Gary William Fisher
Feb 3, 1985
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John James Brown
Feb 14, 1985
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Roark Herbert Ross
May 15, 1986
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Clinton Wayne Crawford
Aug 17, 1987
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John Anthony Andrulewicz
May 9, 1988
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Paul I. Almer
Apr 12, 1989
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Wayne Dennis Bilheimer
Apr 12, 1989
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Arthur Lee Hershey
Jan 3, 1999
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Matthew Rand Bond
Jan 14, 2000
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Tod Carlyle Kelly
Nov 7, 2001
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Joseph James Sepp, Jr.
Nov 10, 2002
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Brian Allen Patterson
Feb 14, 2003
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Joseph Raymond Pokorny, Jr.
Dec 12, 2005
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Joshua Daniel Miller
Jun 7, 2009
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Paul Garmong Richey
Jan 13, 2010
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Blake T. Coble
Oct 4, 2012
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Bryon Keith Dickson, II
Sep 12, 2014
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David Kedra
Sep 30, 2014
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Landon Eugene Weaver
Dec 30, 2016
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Michael Paul Stewart, III
Jul 14, 2017
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Donald Case Brackett
May 18, 2019
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Monty Ray Mitchell
Feb 8, 2021
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Dung Xuan Tran Martinez
Oct 21, 2021
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Martin Francis Mack, III
Mar 21, 2022
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Branden Tyler Sisca
Mar 21, 2022
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Jacques Felix Rougeau, Jr.
Jun 17, 2023
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Timothy J. O'Connor, Jr.
Mar 8, 2026
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Michael E. Pahira, Jr.
Jul 1, 2026
Where
Where the Name Is Cut
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 5-W
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