Oregon City Names New Park In Honor Of Fallen CIA Operative
Oregon City Names New Park In Honor Of Fallen CIA Operative
Tyrone S. Woods, an OCHS alum and Navy veteran, was killed during the now-infamous attack on a U.S. facility in Benghazi, Libya, in 2012.
By Travis Loose, Patch Staff | | Updated
OREGON CITY, OR — The city's Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee on Friday said it would recommend naming the Caulfield neighborhood's new 9-acre park after Oregon City High School alum and former CIA operative Tyrone S. Woods, who was one of four Americans killed on Sept. 12, 2012, during an attack on the State Department's mission facility in Benghazi, Libya.
City residents over five weeks reportedly suggested more than 400 names for the new park, with officials whittling down the options to four names that received 8,571 votes between August and September. Of those, the majority preferred "Tyrone S. Woods Memorial Park."
The park, which is set to be constructed in Spring 2019, is located at the intersection of Glen Oak Road and High School Avenue. According to city officials, the park will have an open lawn area, a playground, a picnic shelter, boardwalk, walking path system, and off-leash dog park.
"This is an honor that was never anticipated or expected, and I am truly humbled, as Tyrone would be, by this tribute to his legacy of heroism," Woods' mother, Cheryl Bennett, said a statement. "The American people have goodness in them beyond our comprehension, and this is one beautiful example of their great collective heart."
Woods graduated from Oregon City High School in 1989 before joining the Navy, eventually reaching the rank of Senior Chief Petty Officer as a Navy SEAL. Woods was deployed on multiple combat missions to Iraq and Afghanistan, his performance for which earned him multiple military commendations. After retiring from the Navy in 2010, Woods joined the CIA.
Woods' participation in defending the now-infamous attack on the Benghazi-based State Department facility was detailed in Mitchell Zuckoff's 2014 book "13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi."
In 2016, actor James Badge Dale portrayed Woods in the Michael Bay film "13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi."
"This park will always stand as a symbol of our local community's dedication to never forget Tyrone's courage and sacrifice — a beloved man and fierce patriot who did what was right, not what was easy," Bennett added. "I sincerely appreciate all the devoted and caring Americans who voted for my son. Thank you so much."
Oregon City commissioners are expected to formally adopt the name at their meeting Dec. 5.
Image via City of Oregon City, CIA, Shutterstock
Source: https://patch.com/oregon/oregoncity/oregon-city-names-new-park-honor-fallen-cia-operative?utm_source=alert-breakingnews&utm_medium=email&utm_term=weather&utm_campaign=alert
