Photo By Staff Sgt. Brendan Stephens | WILMINGTON, N.C. – Friends, family and fellow Soldiers of Sgt. 1st Class Edward...... read more read more
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Wilmington- Pleasant temperatures, bright sun and a light breeze set the stage for the dedication and official opening of the North Carolina Army National Guard’s new Wilmington Readiness Center, the headquarters for the 1st Battalion, 120th Infantry Regiment. Located on the familiar grounds of the old facility, just outside the Wilmington International Airport, the pristine 57,000 square foot two story building had waited for its ribbon cutting for just the right moment. Saturday, the timing and atmosphere could not have been better. With nearly two hundred fellow Soldiers, Fire fighters, friends, family and NC National Guard leadership past and present in attendance, the backdrop of flags, firetrucks and the occasional flight noise from the nearby airport, the mood was one part reunion, one part celebration with an undercurrent of sadness, like the missing of a best friend.
The highlight of the afternoon was the unveiling of the official sign bearing the name of a North Carolina Army National Guard fallen Soldier, Sgt. 1st Class Edward C. Kramer. To properly honor Sgt. 1st Class Kramer, those who knew him best took to the podium. They led the audience through a collective reflection in the meaning, sacrifice and the kind of man that Sgt. 1st Class Kramer was.
Having served as his company Commander during the 2004 deployment to Iraq, Col. Wes Morrison, currently the commander of the 30th Armor Brigade Combat Team, said he had all the hallmarks of a great NCO, “He told you what he thought, he took care of his Soldiers and he got the job the done”.
Lt. Col. Chris Padgett was Sgt. 1st Class Kramer’s commander in 2009 and his heartfelt comments spoke to the hurt, the healing and who Sgt. 1st Class Kramer was to his Soldiers and to him. He emphasized the oft statement that we will never forget the fallen, and reminded everyone “That if we really mean never to forget, than we need to understand and remember the person. What a person did and not what happened to them.” He said Kramer was “Always was willing to do more than his share.”
With grace and composure, Mrs. Kramer shared how they met, and what the National Guard and being a fire fighter meant to Sgt. 1st Class Kramer, but also how as a father his caring and love for his family was central to who he was. “Being a Soldier was in his blood” she said. According to Mrs. Kramer, when he reenlisted before the 2009 deployment his soldiers were on the forefront of his mind. Mrs. Kramer said that he was the kind of man that ”Always was thinking about others before himself” She also thanked those friends that were there for him after his experiences from the 2004 deployment.
Sgt. 1st Class Kramer was killed in an improvised explosive device attack on June 29, 2009. Originally from Connecticut, he served in the United States Marine Corp from 1988 to 1992 and then enlisted as an infantryman in the NC Army National Guard in 1994. Sgt. 1st Class Kramer served as squad leader and other positions within the 1st Battalion 120th Infantry Regiment. In addition to his two deployments to Iraq, he also served the citizens of North Carolina during hurricanes Fran and Floyd in 1996 and 1999 respectively. When not serving with his fellow Soldiers, Sgt. 1st Class Kramer was a professional firefighter, serving both with the Wilmington Fire Department and Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point.
The new readiness center, under construction for twenty two months, is fully equipped with modern amenities for classroom training, operational planning and the myriad of requirements for a battalion headquarters. Its impressive profile of solid block construction is not drab. The coated floors and solid doors give it a feeling of durability. All that strength is topped off with an open foyer featuring the 30th brigade patch and the battalion crest with lots of ambient light. The previous headquarters was over fifty years old when it was demolished and with the looks of it, the new headquarters will be here twice as long. With his name and image prominent, Sgt. 1st Class Kramer, as he was in life, will continue to watch over the Soldiers and Officers of the 1st Battalion, 120th Infantry Regiment, NC Army National Guard. To watch the recorded live stream of the ceremony, visit the NC National Guard Facebook page at www.facebook.com/NCNationalGuard
| Date Taken: | 10.02.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 10.05.2021 15:48 |
| Story ID: | 406750 |
| Location: | WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 1,728 |
| Downloads: | 3 |
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