In a ceremony Thursday morning at Victory Park, next to the 1st Infantry Division Headquarters at Fort Riley, seven names were added to the memorial bricks of “Big Red One” Soldiers who have paid the ultimate sacrifice.
Those names were SPC Angel Lopez, CW2 Randy Billings, CW2 Joshua Silverman, SFC Omar Forde, SGT Peter Bohler, SPC Terry Gordon, and SFC William Lacey.
“Each of these Soldiers went beyond the call of duty. Each of these Heroes was an uncommon American,” says Maj. Gen. Paul Funk, Commanding General of the 1st Infantry Division.
“To each of the families represented here today, we share in your loss. We will not even attempt to say that we have experienced that loss in the same way you have, but we have felt it with you and want you to know that your Soldier is a Big Red One Soldier, and you are members of the Big Red One family and always a part of us.”
Sabina Edwards, Spc. Terry Gordons mother explained that the ceremony brought up memories of everything that her son had done.
“Even though I wasn’t here he kept me abreast of everything that he was doing and to come here and to see it, is very emotional.”
She further explained that her son was proud to be a “Big Red One” Soldier.
“Everything he had, had a big red one on it. I mean everything, it was beautiful. You could tell he was very, very in to what he was doing.”
Thursdays ceremony also included the addition of two more stones to the memorial honoring “Big Red One” Soldiers who had been awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor this past year.
Both Sgt. Alfred B. Neitzel, and Sgt. Candelario Garcia were posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.
Also honored was Walter D. Ehlers, formally of Junction City, who passed away this past February and was the final Medal of Honor recipient from actions on D-Day and the 1st Infantry Divisions final living recipient.
One of Ehlers’ daughters, Cathy Ehlers attended the ceremony with her daughter Kathleen Metcalf and explained that it was an honor to attend the ceremony.
“It’s nice to have his memory kept alive and to see the appreciation that everyone has for him, and to hear the wonderful words, and to know that not just the dedication to but the affection for the 1st Infantry Division that my dad has are both returned to him and returned to us,” Ehlers said.