“Let us now praise famous men. …. All these were honored in their generation, and were the glory of their times. Their bodies are buried in peace; but their name liveth for evermore.” – President Reagan, Memorial Day 1983, quoting Ecclesiastes
A few of their names are etched on the rows of white tombstones that line Fort Logan National Cemetery like soldiers standing in tight formation.
Henry Risner. Shawn Atkins. Gregory Rund.
Behind each of these names is a heroic tale of a life cut tragically short – a young man pulling his life together only to have it end in Iraq.
Colorado’s sons and daughters have fought in far too many wars, and far too many of them never made it home. This weekend, we pause to remember their service and their sacrifice.
George Geer. Russell Rippetoe. Andrew Riedel.
For the last quarter of a century, Americans knew mostly peace. We relished our freedoms and liberties, but often forgot that it took the spilled blood of previous generations to preserve them.
That peace was shattered on Sept. 11, 2001, and for more than three years our nation’s military has been deployed overseas – first in Afghanistan and then in Iraq.
Memorial Day, first observed as Decoration Day in 1868, is a time to honor the men and women who put their lives on the line for the rest of us; those, who as President Kennedy so eloquently put it, would pay any price or bear any burden to ensure the survival and success of liberty.
Daniel Bader. Mark Lawton. Thomas Slocum.
We’ll decorate graves this weekend, and perhaps raise the American flag. Our thoughts are with those who have been killed in past wars, but also those who are still in harm’s way.
And we should also remember the lives behind the names of those we’ve lost.
Risner had dreams of going on to college after his military stint, maybe becoming a firefighter. Geer loved tinkering in his garage with his dad, restoring vintage muscle cars. Rippetoe savored a fast ride on his Harley-Davidson, and Riedel thought of becoming a sheriff’s deputy.
They’re just a few of our neighbors who have given the ultimate sacrifice. Since 2002, 23 Coloradans have died serving their country; 120 soldiers stationed at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs have been killed.
Today, we list Colorado’s fallen soldiers and share their loss with friends and family:
2002, Afghanistan
Army Sgt. 1st Class Daniel A. Romero, 30, Lafayette.
2003, Iraq
Capt. Russell B. Rippetoe, 27, Arvada; Staff Sgt. Barry Sanford, Sr., 46, Aurora; Sgt. Thomas F. Broomhead, 34, Cañon City; Staff Sgt. Daniel A. Bader, 28, Colorado Springs; Staff Sgt. Mark A. Lawton, 41, Hayden; Sgt. 1st Class Randall S. Rehn, 36, Longmont; Sgt. Michael E. Yashinski, 24, Monument; Lance Cpl. Thomas J. Slocum, 22, Thornton.
2004, Iraq
Lance Cpl. Mark E. Engel, 21, Centennial; Pfc. Chance R. Phelps, 19, Clifton; Sgt. Douglas E. Bascom, 25, Colorado Springs; Pfc. Ryan E. Reed, 20, Colorado Springs; Spc. Dave N. Wilson, 26, Fountain; Pfc. Henry C. Risner, 26, Golden; Staff Sgt. Michael B. Shackelford, 25, Grand Junction; Staff Sgt. Theodore S. Holder II, 27, Littleton; Lance Cpl. Gregory P. Rund, 21, Littleton; Pfc. Andrew G. Riedel, 19, Northglenn; Pfc. Shawn M. Atkins, 20, Parker.
2005, Iraq
Spc. Derrick J. Lutters, 24, Burlington; Pfc. George R. Geer, 27, Cortez; Pvt. Travis W. Anderson, 28, Hooper.
