Photo By Antoine Aaron | A Gold Star family members touches the name of their loved one at the Fort Johnson...... read more read more
“Americans may not only pay tribute to our honored dead but also unite in prayer for success in our search for a just and lasting peace.” — John F. Kennedy, "Prayer for Peace," Memorial Day 1962
FORT JOHNSON, La. — Soldiers, Gold Star Family members, dignitaries and friends gathered May 22 in Fort Johnson’s Warrior Memorial Park to remember those “honored dead” who gave their lives in defense of freedom.
Brig. Gen. Jason A. Curl, commander, Joint Readiness Training Center and Fort Johnson, was the ceremony’s keynote speaker. He thanked those in attendance for honoring the brave men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to the United States.
“Memorial Day is a sacred occasion, a time to reflect on the profound courage and selflessness of those who have laid down their lives to protect the freedoms we hold dear,” Curl said. “This weekend is not about cookouts, travel and the unofficial start of summer – it is a time to stop and remember.”
Curl explained the origins of Memorial Day following the Civil War, called Decoration Day at the time, because Families typically remembered their loved ones by decorating gravesites with flowers or flags, which Curl said is still done today.
Following his theme of “stop and remember,” Curl said we stop and remember the ones who never came home; the ones who gave up every tomorrow so we could have ours.
“And we stop to honor the Families they left behind – especially the Gold Star Families here with us today,” he said. “You carry a weight that few can understand, and while we can never repay what your loved one gave, we can promise this: We will not forget.”
Curl said Gold Star Families are not defined by a patch, flag or designation: They are defined by love -- deep, enduring love for a Soldier who never came home. And they do it with strength, grace and a kind of courage that humbles all of us who continue to serve.
“They are part of our Army Family,” he said, “They have sacrificed more than most of us ever will, and our duty to them does not end when the final notes of ‘taps’ fade away.”
Curl said Gold Star Families are owed more than ceremonies; we also owe them our presence and support because their sacrifice didn’t happen in isolation, it happened for our freedom.
“This country can never fully repay them, but we can make one promise: They will never carry it alone,” Curl said.
While some people talk of fallen heroes in numbers, Curl said they are much more than that.
“They were people,” he said. “They were sons and daughters, teammates and leaders. They had favorite songs, inside jokes and future plans. They were scared sometimes—but always brave.
“They stood the watch in places most Americans will never see. They faced down threats most will never know. And they made a decision: To run toward the sound of the fight when others might have turned back.
“They didn’t die because they were fearless. They died because they believed in a calling that is bigger than themselves.
“There is no greater love than that.”
Curl said it’s important that fallen heroes are not remembered with words alone.
“We remember them through how we serve, through discipline, toughness, readiness and through the quiet moments when we get it right – not because it’s easy, but because they would have expected us to,” he said.
That’s the mission of JRTC and Fort Johnson, Curl said.
“Here, Soldiers train under pressure,” he said. “Units build lethality; leaders are tested; and every repetition, every after-action review, and every hard lesson forged in these woods ensure that the United States Army remains the most capable fighting force in the world.
“That is how we honor their legacy -- not by standing still in grief, but by preparing those who will carry the flag next. We are their legacy -- and in the United States Army, that legacy trains, leads and stands ready every single day.”
Following Curl’s remarks, the names of 96 Soldiers from Fort Johnson who have made the ultimate sacrifice during Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom were read.
One of those Soldiers, Spc. Richard C. Emmons III was killed in action on Memorial Day, May 31, 2011, when his unit, 2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Now 3rd BCT), was attacked by a rocket propelled grenade. Emmons godmother, Patsy Warner, attended the ceremony.
“We know that no one is ever going to forget,” Warner said. “He’s been gone a long time, but he was doing what he wanted to do. All he ever wanted to do was be a Soldier.”
Warner said she went to Dover, Delaware when his remains were returned.
“I’ll say one thing: The Army did everything they could to make it as bearable as possible,” she said. “They did a good job in Dover. At the funeral the Army made us proud. We’ll be back here every year.”
Mark Leslie, Directorate of Plans, Training Mobilization and Security, said ceremonies such as these are important to make the rest of the country aware of the sacrifices the military has made.
“For veterans, it’s time for us to reflect on those we served with and think how privileged we were to have them in our life,” he said. “It’s a day filled with emotional turmoil, and also a day filled not solely with regret, but with the happy times we spent with those who have fallen.”
Col. C.J. Lopez, Fort Johnson garrison commander, agreed with Leslie on the ceremony’s importance.
“It’s very simple – remembering those who stood before us and stood for us’” he said. “It’s the least we can do to honor their legacy.”
Chap. (Col.) Michael L. Jeffries, Fort Johnson installation chaplain opened the ceremony with prayer. Placing a wreath at the monument to the fallen Soldiers were Curl, Sgt. Maj. Andrew P. Baxter and Sgt. 1st Class Trakinya S. Johnson. The 32nd Hospital Center supplied the flag detail, and a 21-gun artillery salute was provided by Alpha Battery, 5th Battalion, 25th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division. Taps we played by Spc. Anil Karki, 32nd HC.
| Date Taken: | 05.26.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 06.03.2025 15:59 |
| Story ID: | 499567 |
| Location: | FORT JOHNSON, LOUISIANA, US |
| Web Views: | 22 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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