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The North Carolina National Guard dedicated the Sanford Readiness Center in Sanford, North Carolina, in honor of fallen West Virginia National Guard Soldier, Sgt. DeForest Talbert today.
The ceremony took place at the readiness center, home of D Troop, 1st Squadron, 150th Cavalry Regiment. Units from both the West Virginia National Guard and North Carolina National Guard fall under the 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team, headquartered in Clinton, N.C.
Sgt. DeForest Talbert, an armor crewman assigned to the Dunbar unit of 1st Battalion, 150th Armored Regiment based in Beckley, West Virginia, was killed in action July 27, 2004 in Baladruc, Iraq when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee.
Maj. Gen. James A. Hoyer, The Adjutant General of the West Virginia National Guard, joined Maj. Gen. Gregory Lusk, The Adjutant General of the North Carolina National Guard, and Talbert’s close family for the dedication ceremony.
“Those who live and serve in West Virginia are keenly aware of the sacrifices made by brave Soldiers such as Sgt. DeForest Talbert,” said Hoyer. “We should all remember that there is an underlying reason why people like Dee serve our Nation. It is something we fail to equate with our military. It is a love of family, community and country. This leads to a desire to be a part of something bigger than yourself and join a diverse group of people who also have the same love of family, community and country. This is the type of leadership and focus we need to have in our Nation!"
“Future generations from all walks of life will be reminded of his life and service to this nation,” said Lusk. “We have an obligation to remember him and we owe him and his family for the sacrifices they have made. God bless Sgt. Talbert and his family.”
Talbert was a native of Alexandria, Virginia and enlisted in the West Virginia National Guard in 2001. He was attending West Virginia State University in Charleston studying communications prior to deployment.
He was known for his athletic ability, garnering the nickname “Touchdown Talbert” in high school, and served as a mentor for low-income youth in Alexandria before moving to West Virginia for college.
Talbert’s service and sacrifice have also been memorialized through the naming of the U.S. Army Sergeant DeForest Lee Talbert Memorial Bridge in Putnam County, West Virginia in 2016.
| Date Taken: | 10.20.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 10.20.2017 16:03 |
| Story ID: | 252495 |
| Location: | SANFORD, NC, US |
| Hometown: | ALEXANDRIA, VA, US |
| Hometown: | CHARLESTON, WV, US |
| Web Views: | 284 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Fallen W.Va. Soldier honored with building dedication in North Carolina, by Maj. Holli Nelson, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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