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    21 inducted to All American Hall of Fame

    21 inducted to All American Hall of Fame

    Photo By Sgt. Christopher Gallagher | Inductee Command Sgt. Maj. (ret) William “Joe” Gainey (center), former Senior...... read more read more

    FORT BRAGG, NORTH CAROLINA, UNITED STATES

    05.22.2018

    Story by Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Wallace 

    82nd Airborne Division

    “We come together today to honor and preserve the contributions of the most extraordinary All Americans in history.”
    “Today we identify twenty-one All Americans as role models for our current generations of Paratroopers.”
    “In celebrating this opening, in honoring our past, we honor our culture and shape our future,” said Maj. Gen. Erik Kurilla, commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, during his speech at the 82nd Airborne Division Hall of Fame inaugural induction ceremony.
    Twenty-one past members of the 82nd Airborne Division were inducted into the Division Hall of Fame May 23, at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
    The Hall of Fame honors past members of the division who made a lasting impact and oftentimes went on to have long successful careers in the U.S. Army.
    Earlier in the year, brigade command teams submitted nominations for the inaugural class to the All American Hall of Fame Selection Committee, a panel of senior leaders currently serving within the Division.
    To be eligible for induction, members must have served a minimum of two years in the Division, must be a least five years removed from the Division, and must no longer be eligible to serve in the Division.
    With these requirements in mind, a system was created to score and select the inaugural class.
    Twenty-one inductees were selected for the first class, but beginning next year five, new inductees will be added during All American Week.
    This year’s 21 inductees include:
    General (Retired) John F. Campbell
    Staff Sergeant Félix Modesto Conde Falcón
    Private First Class Charles N. DeGlopper
    Retired General Ann E. Dunwoody
    1st Sgt. Leonard A. Funk, Jr.
    Retired Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, William “Joe” Gainey
    Private Joe Gandara
    Lieutenant General James Gavin
    Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Tadeusz "Ted" Gaweda
    Retired Captain Roy Hanna
    General James Lindsay
    Retired General Dan McNeill
    Retired Lt. Col. James "Maggie" Megellas
    Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Kenneth "Rock" Merritt
    Lieutenant Colonel Emory Jenison Pike
    General Matthew Bunker Ridgway
    General Roscoe Robinson, Jr.
    General Maxwell D. Taylor
    Retired Gen. James D. Thurman
    John Towle
    Sergeant Alvin C. York
    While each inductee has their own story, Kurilla was able to summarize what the iconic All American veterans had done to be nominated for the Hall of Fame.
    “Some of those celebrated on this wall behind me are figures larger than life - larger, even than their roles within this Division,” said Kurilla. “Some have broken down barriers, evolved national security, become household names in European countries, and opened doors for others that had been forever closed.
    “Yet, they all share the common ancestry of the Double A patch. And that is what we celebrate today,” he added.

    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 05.22.2018
    Date Posted: 05.24.2018 18:42
    Story ID: 278400
    Location: FORT BRAGG, NORTH CAROLINA, US

    Web Views: 514
    Downloads: 0

    PUBLIC DOMAIN