As he looked forward this week to the new year, Junction City Commissioner Mick McCallister was remembering five First Infantry Division soldiers who lost their lives in a helicopter crash in southern Afghanistan December 17.

Mccallister urged people to keep the soldiers who were lost in their thoughts and prayers. He noted a memorial ceremony is scheduled on Thursday. “That’s the highest sacrifice that those folks can do for us. We are proud citizens, and we are proud of those soldiers, and we’re proud of those families.

The five soldiers that will be remembered Chief Warrant Officer 2, Randy Billings, 34; Chief Warrant Officer 2 Joshua Silverman, 35; Sereant First Class Omar Forde, 38; Sergeant Peter Bohler, 29; and Specialist Terry Gordon, 22.

The memorial ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday at the Morris Hill Chapel at Fort Riley.