Don Milas Goforth II was born July 30, 1982, in Poteau, Oklahoma.

He joined the Poteau Fire Department in December 2008 and rose to the rank of captain of Station 1 in 2014. Throughout his ten-year career, Don was the definition of “always on call,” responding to 1,744 calls, including 191 structure fires.

But numbers don’t capture the man. They don’t capture the Jack-of-all-trades who could fix a computer as easily as he could vent a roof. They don’t capture the captain who commanded respect not through a title, but through his actions. And they don’t capture the father who loved his children, Kaddon and Kylie, or the husband he was to Cassie.

Don was a larger-than-life character. His matter-of-fact personality and raw honesty provided him with a command presence that left you without questions. He was the guy you wanted on the line with you and the friend you wanted to be around when the work was done. His commitment to integrity, teamwork, and excellence continues to guide the fire department he loved. Don, thank you for your service, your leadership, and your friendship. You stood the watch with honor. We’ll take it from here.

Don was an avid reader and fly fishermen. He wanted this quote on his tombstone, so we felt it was fitting to include it here.

Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world’s great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of those rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs. I am haunted by waters. -Norman Maclean