Courtesy Photo | Former Joint Base Lewis-McChord civilians Deborah Manduca (left) and Michael Fuller,...... read more read more
JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, Wash. – Two longtime Joint Base Lewis-McChord employees were recognized July 8 during the annual JBLM Department of War Employee Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, held in front of the newly memorialized Jacoby Hall, Lewis Main.
The inductees included John Weller, awarded posthumously for his 27 years as a JBLM range officer; and Deborah Manduca, recognized for her more than 45 years of service as a secretary for various DoW entities, including many positions at JBLM that culminated with the title of executive assistant to the commanding general of I Corps.
Weller’s wife and Manduca were each presented with a certificate of appreciation and a trophy, and photos of the inductees have been placed on the wall in the I Corps Hall of Heroes in Jacoby Hall.
Weller, an Ohio native, was a U.S. Army field artillery officer who received a Purple Heart and Bronze Star while serving as a forward observer in Vietnam. He also earned a Ranger tab. Once he finished his active-duty career, he began his range officer role at then-Fort Lewis.
“It’s no exaggeration at all to say that the role of range officer at then-Fort Lewis and now JBLM was the job of a lifetime for him,” said Weller’s wife, the Rev. Edith Weller. “It was a unique opportunity for him to bring together all of his experience as a field artillery officer, his skills for teaching and leadership, and his belief in the mission here in a role that simultaneously called for curiosity and creativity and determination and hard work, which he was willing to give.”
John Weller was recognized throughout his civilian career “for his deep technical expertise and his ability to balance the demanding requirements of military training with environmental stewardship and historical preservation,” his biography says, adding that his work helped prepare units “for Operation Urgent Fury, Operation Just Cause, multiple rotations to the Republic of Korea, and numerous deployments associated with the Global War on Terror.”
He also helped establish JBLM’s Integrated Training Area Management Program, Leschi Town Military Operations in Urban Terrain Complex, and Shoot House.
Additionally, John Weller “led the coordination and approvals required to field and train the Army’s first Stryker Brigade Combat Teams at (then-)Fort Lewis, beginning in 2003,” according to his biography.
He died on Jan. 5, 2023.
“What’s most notable about his impact isn’t the jobs he had; it was the way he went about doing those jobs,” said Lt. Gen. Matthew McFarlane, commanding general of I Corps and JBLM, citing “the invaluable mentorship he provided hundreds of leaders, to include me. He always found a way to get to mission success.”
Manduca, a military child-turned military wife and mother, began her DoW secretarial career at then-McChord Air Force Base in 1979. She served in Germany before returning to then-Fort Lewis with her husband in 1983, starting work at the American Lake Veterans Hospital Personnel Office and then transferring to Fort Lewis.
Manduca’s Fort Lewis roles prior to 1991 included: secretary to the 9th Finance officer; secretary to the I Corps adjutant general; secretary to the JBLM United States Army Information commander; and executive secretary to the commanding general, 9th Infantry Division.
She transferred to the I Corps Command Group in 1991, where she worked in each executive secretary position before becoming the commanding general’s executive assistant. In that role, “she also volunteered as the Voice of America’s Corps for countless official ceremonies,” her biography says.
McFarlane referenced Manduca’s volunteer work, saying: “Our civilians go above and beyond” their position descriptions.
“We’re blessed in this corps with our civilians, both on the Army side and Air Force side, and Deb is among the very best of those civilians and certainly deserves a place in our Hall of Fame,” McFarlane said.
Manduca said she was humbled to receive the honor.
“It never crossed my mind, ever, to be recognized for doing something that I loved doing every day,” she said.
The JBLM Department of War Employee Hall of Fame was established in 2025 by McFarlane to honor the extraordinary dedication, professionalism and lasting contributions of the base’s civilian workforce.
The recognition is reserved for those whose service has gone above and beyond the call of duty and whose impact has strengthened JBLM’s mission, supported its service members and enriched the greater JBLM community.
To learn more about the JBLM Department of War Employee Hall of Fame inductees, visit https://home.army.mil/lewis-mcchord/about/jblm-department-war-employee-hall-fame.
| Date Taken: | 07.09.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 07.09.2026 16:18 |
| Story ID: | 569657 |
| Location: | TACOMA, WASHINGTON, US |
| Web Views: | 13 |
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