With almost every traditional gathering to honor our nations fallen this Memorial Day being cancelled, I was thrilled at the request to assist the Army in carrying out a climb to honor the 77 fallen Paratroopers from the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) 25th Infantry Division (4-25).
I recently shared a story about a RECON our team conducted with Chaplains from the 4-25. They reached out requesting our assistance to climb Gold Star Peak to honor and remember the 77 fallen Paratroopers from the 4-25 for Memorial Day, I absolutely jumped on the opportunity.
The initial plan was that at least 77 Paratroopers would climb carrying a picture of each fallen hero from their unit to the summit. What I didn’t realize at the time was just how very honorable this event would turn out to be. The 4-25 came up with a plan implementing and enforcing the strict social distancing mandates which included small groups of Paratroopers climbing in intervals and honoring their units fallen on the summit in small separate ceremonies. What ended up happening was incredibly respectful, honorable, and at times very moving.
As each of groups reached the summit, one by one the Paratroopers stood at attention holding the fallen Paratrooper’s photo and a small flag and said out loud the fallen hero’s name. Hearing the individual names called out stirred up many memories from when I did the same thing during the many memorial services I attended hearing the same names called out during Final Roll Call.
With a total of 173 Paratroopers safely reaching the summit, the 4-25 set a new record having the most people reach the summit in a single day. It was an honor to not only serve in this brigade, but to see that the leadership today has not forgotten the names or sacrifices so many before them have made. I know I speak for many Gold Stars whose loved ones fell serving in the 4-25 from 2005-2018 that are touched by their actions yesterday.
Please, say each of their names this Memorial Day.
SGT SHAWN G. ADAMS * SPC JESSIE B. ALBRECHT * 2LT DARRYN D. ANDREWS, SGT BRIAN D. ARDRON * SGT RYAN J. BAUM * SSG SHANE R. BECKER * SPC JULIAN L. BERISFORD * SPC JEFFERY D. BISSON * PFC ALAN R. BLOHM * SPC MATTHEW T. BOLAR * SPC JOHN G. BORBONUS * SSG CLAYTON P. BOWEN * SSG DAVID T. BRABANDER * 1LT BRIAN N. BRADSHAW * SFC CHRISTOPHER R. BREVARD * PFC JUSTIN A. CASILLAS * SPC JOHNATHAN B. CHISM * CPL RYAN D. COLLINS * SPC GABRIEL D. CONDE * CPL JASON J. CORBETT * SSG KURT R. CURTISS * SPC NATHAN T. DAVIS * CPL MICHAEL W. DAVIS * PFC PATRICK A. DEVOE II * CPL DUSTIN R. DONICA * SGT SCOTT D. DYKMAN * PFC VINCENT J. ELLIS *PFC AARON E. FAIRBAIRN * PFC SHAWN P. FALTER * SGT SEAN P. FENNERTY * SSG THOMAS K. FOGARTY * SPC VICTOR M. FONTANILLA * SPC PHILIP C. FORD * 1LT JACOB N. FRITZ * SGT BRENNAN C. GIBSON * PFC NICOLAS H. GIDEON * CPL MICAH S. GIFFORD * SPC JARRETT P. GRIEMEL * SSG CARL E. HAMMAR * SPC ADAM G. HEROLD, * SFC JASON O. HICKMAN * CPL JARON D. HOLLIDAY * SSG MICHAEL R. HULLENDER * CPL JEREMIAH J. JOHNSON * SGT ADAM P. KENNEDY * SGT RUSSELL A. KURTZ * CPL JASON K. LAFLEUR * SGT JASON M. LANTIERI * SSG HENRY W. LINCK * CPL JAMES T. LINDSEY * SGT BRADLEY W. MARSHALL * 1LT THOMAS M. MARTIN * SPC ETHAN J. MARTIN * PFC MATTHEW M. MARTINEK * SSG JACOB G. MCMILLAN * SGT PHILLIP D. MCNEILL * SPC RICHARD L. McNULTY III * PFC JOHNATHON M. MILLICAN * SGT ROBERT J. MONTGOMERY JR. * SGT TRISTA L. MORETTI * SSG MICHAEL C. MURPHREY * SPC SHAWN M. MURPHY * CPL TOBY R. OLSEN * CPL COTY J. PHELPS * CPL CODY A. PUTMAN * SPC DANIEL F. REYES * CPL CLIFFORD A. SPOHN III * SGT LANCE C. SPRINGER II * CPL JOSEPH A.L. STRONG * CPL DOUGLAS L. TINSLEY * 1LT COLBY J. UMBRELL * SGT DUSTIN S. WAKEMAN * SGT BRIAN L. WALKER * SPC MORRIS L. WALKER * SSG SHANNON V. WEAVER * SPC JEFFREY L. WHITE JR. * SSG JAMIE D. WILSON
SPARTA LIVES!