Naselle's Cliff Kilponen receives prestigious award

On July 12, 2025, the Washington American Legion Department named Naselle resident Cliff Kilponen its 2025 Firefighter of the Year at the annual department conference in Spokane Valley. As his name was announced by Law and Order Committee Chair, Tank Tanksley, Kilponen was escorted to the dais by the Master-at-Arms while some 100 to 150 legionnaires in the audience clapped in unison in a traditional walking cadence.

"As of July 1 of this year, Cliff Kilponen began his 52nd year of service to his community as a volunteer firefighter, EMT, and, more recently, ambulance driver for Pacific County Fire District 4, located in Naselle," said Tanksley. "More than 96 percent of the land mass of Washington State is non-urban. Much of that rural area is served by volunteer firefighters and EMT's. These individuals serve without pay, with greater distances to cover, lower budgets and often with antiquated equipment. Their motivation is not career or money, it is simply dedication to their communities and their fellow man. All too often, that dedication goes unrecognized except at the local level. Here is an individual who, over more than half a century of service, has provided an immeasurable number of hours of his life and responded to thousands of call outs to assist people in need demonstrating an almost unheard-of level of dedication to his community and fellow man. In past years, this award has gone to firefighters serving within larger and more urbanized fire districts. Each year, the 148 American Legion Posts within Washington State and their 16,000 plus members are invited to submit nominations for awards such as Firefighter of the Year, Law Enforcement Officer of the Year, Paramedic of the Year, and Humanitarian of the Year. After reviewing the other nominations submitted to the committee, the members felt Cliff Kilponen's level of service was deserving of our highest award in this category, along with the recognition due his and all the other rural fire districts within the state. It is our honor to now recognize and present this award to Cliff Kilponen."

Kilponen was presented with an engraved plaque denoting his award by the Washington American Legion Department Commander Al Jensen as Legionnaires stood and applauded. The nomination of Kilponen was prepared and submitted to the committee by the Barr-Johnson-Hill American Legion Post 111 of Deep River.