Photo By Master Sgt. Matthew Keeler | A wreath is presented in honor of the Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 109th Field...... read more read more
Subscribe
JESSUP, Pa. -- On a warm Sunday afternoon, hundreds of motorcycle riders revved their engines in preparation for the day’s event. This was not the “Thunder Run,” a bike ride that veterans of the Vietnam War take part in to honor those service members lost during that conflict; nor, was this just a chance to enjoy the beautifully mild mid-September day.
On this day, the gathered group were here to honor a friend, a brother in arms, a neighbor, a family member, a member of their squad, a Soldier under their command, and a hero; they were here to honor Sgt. Jan Argonish.
The ride for Sgt. Jan Argonish, a Soldier who died while serving with the 55th Heavy Brigade Combat Team in Afghanistan in 2007, has been an annual event. Every year on the first weekend after Labor Day, participants come together to ride to remember Argonish.
"[it’s] a tribute to his legacy and the sacrifice that he made to keep his memory alive and helping other veterans,” Talia Walsh, organizer of the ride, told a local news station. “[It’s] Bittersweet, but it's a good way to remember the positive of him and the light that he left."
Traditions like the Sgt. Jan Aronish ride are one way that communities continue to remember those lost while in service to their country. For other events, individuals commemorate with workouts.
Friends and family of Master Sgt. Scott Ball, a Soldier who served with the 55th HBCT who died in the same attack as Argonish, was honored in a workout where individuals flipped tires, performed pushups, and rucked or walked 20.07 kilometers to mark the date of Ball’s passing.
The legacy of these Soldiers are remembered by the communities that they were a part of, but also by the Soldiers and the units that they helped mentor and support.
The March for the Fallen, an event held at the end of September at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa., commemorates service members from Pennsylvania that have paid the ultimate sacrifice. Whether someone chooses the 28 or the 14 mile distance, each mile is marked with the photo of a fallen Pennsylvania service member – and in their own way, a way to honor and motivate those individuals on the trail.
In Kingston, Pa., the Soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 109th Field Artillery, hold a memorial ceremony for the Soldiers who died in a train accident on Sept. 11, 1950. Thirty-three Soldiers were killed when their stalled train was struck by another train while the battalion was en-route to its mobilization station at Camp Atterbury, Indiana. It is during the memorial that the 1-109th FA remembers the Soldiers that have made the ultimate sacrifice by hanging dogtags upon crosses, and announcing the brave acts performed by those Soldiers.
These men and women, have paid the ultimate sacrifice for the Commonwealth and our country; but, thanks to the men and women who served and continue to support their communities, they will never be forgotten.
| Date Taken: | 09.14.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 09.14.2021 13:26 |
| Story ID: | 405172 |
| Location: | PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Web Views: | 44 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Gone, but never forgotten, by MSG Matthew Keeler, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
