Fort McCoy Garrison Commander Col. Sheyla Baez Ramirez continued a tradition that stretches back more than a century when she served as the featured speaker during the Sparta (Wis.) Memorial Day observance May 25, 2026, honoring the nation's fallen service members and reinforcing the enduring relationship between Fort McCoy and the community where the installation’s history began.
The annual observance, organized by Sparta VFW Post 2112 and American Legion Post 100, brought together veterans, military members, community leaders, residents, and visitors for a day of remembrance. The event began with a parade through downtown Sparta and concluded with ceremonies recognizing the sacrifices of those who died in military service to the United States.
The schedule for the observance included:
• 10 a.m. — Memorial Day parade begins on South Water Street in Sparta.
• Following the parade — Memorial Day ceremony at Blyton Park.
• Following the park ceremony — Traditional wreath-laying ceremony at Perch Lake honoring service members lost at sea.
• Noon — Official observance concludes.
During the ceremony at Blyton Park, Baez addressed attendees and joined local veteran organizations and community members in paying tribute to the nation's fallen heroes.
Her participation reflected a longstanding commitment by Fort McCoy leaders to support community Memorial Day events throughout the region. The relationship between the installation and Sparta is especially significant because the city is closely tied to the history of Fort McCoy and its founder, Maj. Gen. Robert Bruce McCoy.
McCoy, a Sparta attorney, judge, civic leader, military officer, and later mayor of Sparta, played a leading role in establishing the military training grounds that eventually became Fort McCoy. In the early 1900s, he worked with community leaders and state officials to secure land near Sparta for military training, laying the foundation for what would become one of the Army’s premier training installations.
Historical records and Fort McCoy historical programs have documented McCoy’s active participation in civic and veterans-related events in Sparta. His leadership helped establish a tradition of cooperation between the military and the community that continues today. More than 100 years later, Army leaders still participate in community observances in the same city where McCoy lived, worked, and advocated for military readiness and public service.
The connection remains visible through Fort McCoy's ongoing engagement with local governments, schools, veteran organizations, and community groups throughout Monroe County and the surrounding region. Baez Ramirez has continued that outreach during her tenure as garrison commander, participating in numerous community events and partnership initiatives involving Sparta and neighboring communities.
Army leaders often describe community engagement as an essential component of maintaining strong relationships with the citizens and organizations that support military installations.
Participation in events such as Memorial Day observances provides an opportunity to honor military service, recognize veterans and Gold Star families, and strengthen ties between the Army and the communities it serves.
For Fort McCoy, those relationships are particularly important because of the installation’s deep roots in western Wisconsin. The installation's history is intertwined with Sparta's history, making Memorial Day observances in the city especially meaningful for military leaders.
As parade participants moved from South Water Street to Blyton Park and later to Perch Lake for the wreath-laying ceremony, the day’s events served as a reminder of both sacrifice and continuity. The observance honored those who gave their lives in defense of the nation while also highlighting a partnership between Sparta and Fort McCoy that has endured for generations.
More than a century after Maj. Gen. Robert Bruce McCoy supported community and veteran events in Sparta, Fort McCoy’s senior leadership continues to stand alongside residents in remembrance. Baez’s participation in the 2026 observance represented the latest chapter in that enduring tradition of service, partnership, and respect for the nation’s fallen heroes.
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[c](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: |
06.02.2026 |
| Date Posted: |
06.02.2026 13:49 |
| Story ID: |
566692 |
| Location: |
FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US |
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19 |
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