Beneath patriotic songs, prayers, and reflections on sacrifice, members of the Fort McCoy community gathered May 21 at McCoy’s Community Center for the 2026 Fort McCoy Memorial Day Prayer Luncheon — an annual observance focused on honoring America’s fallen service members and remembering the meaning behind Memorial Day.
The event, coordinated by the Fort McCoy Religious Support Office, brought together Soldiers, civilians, veterans, clergy members, community leaders, and family members for a luncheon centered on remembrance, faith, and service. The program included patriotic music, community prayers, remarks from leaders, and a keynote presentation by retired Army Chaplain (Col.) Ephraim Garcia.
The luncheon opened with the National Anthem and later included performances of “America the Beautiful” and the “Battle Hymn of the Republic” by Michelle Jones, chapel pianist and cantor for U.S. Army Garrison Fort McCoy. Chaplain Jacqueline Gay of the Tomah VA Staff Chaplain Office delivered the invocation, while several clergy members led prayers for service members and families, police officers and firefighters, and national leaders.
Fort McCoy Garrison Commander Col. Sheyla Baez Ramirez also provided special thanks during the event, which continued a long-standing tradition at the installation of holding a Memorial Day prayer luncheon ahead of the national holiday.
Memorial Day traces its roots to the years following the Civil War, when communities across the country began holding tributes to fallen Soldiers by decorating graves with flowers and flags. Originally known as Decoration Day, the observance evolved into Memorial Day and became a federal holiday in 1971. Today, the holiday honors all U.S. military personnel who died while serving the nation.
That spirit of remembrance remained at the center of the Fort McCoy observance.
Garcia, who retired in March 2025 after a distinguished 40-year military career that included service in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve, New York Army National Guard, and U.S. Army Chaplain Corps, shared reflections about faith, leadership, and difficult moments experienced during deployments.
In one story from Afghanistan, Garcia described how people unexpectedly gathered around him during a tense situation.
“I won’t go into the details, but it was amazing how God puts you in situations, and no matter how difficult they may be, you could become a hero, an inspiration to other people,” Garcia said.
“You know what happened that day in Afghanistan? I didn’t sleep, I began to feed people, and then I realized that everywhere I went, there was a crowd around me. I said, ‘Well, are you guys okay? What’s going on?’ They said, ‘If God’s protecting the chaplain, I’m hanging with the chaplain.’”
Garcia’s remarks blended humor, humility, and personal testimony while emphasizing hope and service during difficult times.
According to the luncheon program, Garcia previously served as the Senior Reserve Chaplain for the U.S. Army Chief of Chaplains Strategic Initiatives Group at Fort Hamilton, N.Y. His deployments and assignments included support to operations in Kuwait and Afghanistan as well as hurricane response missions.
The luncheon also reflected Fort McCoy’s broader connection with community faith leaders and local organizations. Rev. Dr. John D. Emmart of Mercy Health, Pastor Bryan Johnson of Lighthouse Assembly of God Church in Tomah, and Pastor David Dahl of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Tomah all participated in the event through prayer and remarks.
A portion of the program also featured “George Washington’s Prayer for His Country,” adapted from a 1783 circular letter written by Washington following the Revolutionary War, emphasizing national unity, humility, justice, and peace.
Over the years, Fort McCoy’s Memorial Day Prayer Luncheon has become a recurring observance designed not only to honor those who died in military service but also to provide a moment of reflection for the installation and surrounding communities.
Previous luncheons have similarly included guest speakers, clergy-led prayers, patriotic music, and discussions focused on sacrifice, remembrance, and faith. Installation officials said the annual event continues to provide an opportunity for the community to pause and reflect on the true meaning of Memorial Day before the start of the holiday weekend.
Fort McCoy, located in west-central Wisconsin, serves as a Total Force Training Center and supports the training and readiness of active-duty, Reserve, and National Guard military personnel from across the nation.
Fort McCoy’s motto beginning in 2026 is “Training the Total Force and Shaping the Future since 1909.”
The installation’s mission: “Fort McCoy strengthens Total Force Readiness by serving as a training center, Mobilization Force Generation Installation, and Strategic Support Area enabling warfighter lethality to deploy, fight, and win our nation’s wars.”
And Fort McCoy’s vision is, “To be the premier training center supporting the most capable, combat-ready, and lethal armed forces.”
Located in the heart of the upper Midwest, Fort McCoy is the only U.S. Army installation in Wisconsin. The installation has provided support and facilities for the field and classroom training of more than 100,000 military personnel from all services nearly every year since 1984.
Learn more about Fort McCoy online at https://home.army.mil/mccoy, on Facebook by searching “ftmccoy,” on Flickr at https://www.flickr.com/photos/fortmccoywi, and on X (formerly Twitter) by searching “usagmccoy.” Also try downloading the My Army Post app to your smartphone and set “Fort McCoy” or another installation as your preferred base. Fort McCoy is also part of Army’s Installation Management Command where “We Are The Army’s Home.”
| Date Taken: |
06.01.2026 |
| Date Posted: |
06.01.2026 14:40 |
| Story ID: |
566599 |
| Location: |
FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US |
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