LAYTON -- There likely will not be a dry eye in the Meridian Ballroom tonight as hometown military heroes are saluted for their bravery. That's the theme and thrust of this year's Davis County Gala, which will be held at the Davis Conference Center. Honorees will come from throughout Davis and Weber counties and will include all branches of the military. Proceeds from the event will go toward the purchase of equipment for a new fitness center at Hill Air Force Base. Tonight's heroes have been nominated by city councils and others as outstanding examples of military service, says Deb Tanzi, organizer of the event. Dignitaries are set to include Governor Huntsman and a 3-Star general from the Pentagon, with an F-16 flyover also planned. Sponsors have readily come forward to support the event, she said, including the University of Utah Community Health Care Center in Centerville, Northrop Grumman, Ed Kenley Ford, Industrial Associates, L-3 Communications, Logistic Specialties Inc., Market Star and Grow Utah Ventures.

Dinner will be served to the theme, "From Sea to Shining Sea," while the Air Force Reserve Band from Warner-Robins AFB, Ga., will perform, along with the Davis High School Marching Band Drum Line.

George Wahlen, one of only a handful of Medal of Honor recipients still alive in the area, will be feted, along with his wife, Melba. He served in all four branches of the military.

Fifteen heroes are being honored from Davis County and nine from Weber County. Those selected from Davis County are:

- Ret. Lt. Col. Robert Clay, United States Air Force (USAF), unincorporated area near Bountiful;

- Ret. Major Alden Rigby, USAF, Bountiful;

- SMSgt. Cheryl Larsen, Utah Air National Guard, Centerville;

- Ret. MSgt. George Horton, Navy, Army, Air Force and Merchant Marine, Clearfield;

- MSgt. Derek Madsen, USAF, Clinton;

- Ret. Lt. Col. Jay C. Hess, USAF, Farmington;

- Ret. Lt. Col. Dean Jeffs, Army, Fruit Heights;

-Maj. David Becker, Utah Air Guard, Kaysville.

Also, SrA Harmoney Lenhart, USAF, Layton;

- Lt. Col. Mike Moore, USAF, North Salt Lake;

-Maj. Shannon L. Juby, USAF, South Weber;

-TSgt. Benjamin Paul Horton, USAF, Sunset;

-Lt. Col. Kurt J. Gallegos, U.S. Air Force Reserves, Syracuse;

-Sgt. Brandon Crook, Air Guard, West Bountiful; and

- Ret. Lt. Col. Thomas A. Rodgers.

Lt. Col. Clay served in WWII, completing 16 bombing missions in the Flying Fortress. His 17th mission to Berlin ended with his year-long imprisonment in a German POW camp before being liberated by Gen. Patton's forces.

Maj. Rigby piloted the then-new P-51 Mustang fighter for the Army Air Corps, now Air Force. He destroyed four enemy aircraft, receiving the Silver Star for gallantry in action.

SMSgt. Larsen is a member of the 151st Air Refueling Wing, Utah National Guard. She has served in Desert Shield, Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom, each time in operational combat zones.

MSgt. Horton is highly decorated and continues to serve by performing over 250 full service military funerals annually in Davis and Weber counties.

MSgt. Madsen has been deployed around the world and currently manages the largest munitions stockpile within the U.S. Air Force.

Lt. Col. Hess completed 32.5 combat missions over North Vietnam before being captured and held as a POW for 5-1/2 years. He has been awarded the Purple Heart, Distinguished Flying Cross and the Silver Star, among many other prominent medals.

Lt. Col. Jeffs has a long record of military service prior to World War II and is a veteran of three wars. He says his greatest accomplishment was coming home without a scratch. He also served as an ROTC instructor at the university level.

Maj. Becker was deployed for 15 months in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and was awarded the Bronze Star for his service.

SrA Lenhart's service has made a direct impact on the global war on terrorism, ensuring the readiness and safety of all aircraft deployed to Balad Air Base, Iraq.

Lt. Col. Moore currently serves in the 388th Fighter Wing at Hill Air FOrce Base, and is leaving on Sept. 11 for a tour of duty in Iraq.

Maj. Juby is an F-16 fighter pilot, currently deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom with the 421st Fighter Squadron at HAFB. She spends many hours serving the community in volunteer work, sharing her patriotic experiences with students of all ages.

TSgt. Horton displayed extraordinary bravery during combat. Among many heroic acts while in Iraq, he destroyed 327 enemy Improvised Explosive Devices (IED), rescued an Army Reconnaissance unit trapped by 15 roadside bombs and saved three critically wounded U.S. soldiers. He also removed two soldiers from burning wreckage and rescued a third soldier trapped beneath a Humvee.

Lt. Col. Gallegos is an Air Force Reserve F-16 pilot with the 419th Fighter Wing at HAFB, with more than 3,000 hours of flying time. He flew in Operation Allied Force in Yugoslavia where he destroyed three MIG-21s in one mission. He was the first F-16 pilot to drop bombs in Afghanistan after 9-11 and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Sgt. Cook recently returned from a one-year deployment in Iraq, training Iraqi soldiers and enjoyed interacting with Iraqi children in his off-duty time. He believes that any person not willing to fight for freedom doesn't deserve to be free.

Lt. Col. Rodgers received the Bronze Star and Purple Heart after being wounded while serving in Vietnam. He helped establish Utah chapters of the Purple Heart organization, and was instrumental in the completion of monuments honoring those injured and killed in the line of duty.