Dannelly honors six fallen unit members during annual Memorial Ceremony

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Chris Baldwin
  • 187th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
Montgomery Regional Air National Guard Base, Montgomery, Ala. --  In observance of Memorial Day, 187th Fighter Wing members, along with veterans and family, took a moment to pay respect to six unit members who died in the past year.  The ceremony was held in Memorial Park at Dannelly Field Air National Guard Base.

During the memorial, several military customs were observed, to include the posting of the colors, singing of the National Anthem by Alabama Air National Guard Staff Sgt. Adrienne Barron, a moment of silence and the playing of "Taps."

Senior Airman Uriel Padilla, a member of the Detachment 100, part of the Active Duty Total Force Integration unit, led The Airman's Creed.

Staff Sgt. (Retired) David Payne presented a plaque and a Vietnam Veterans Commemorative Flag to Brig. Gen. Paul Jacobs, Alabama's Assistant Adjutant General - Air, and Col. William Sparrow, Vice Commander, 187th Fighter Wing to honor those who served and paid the ultimate price.

As part of the ceremony, representatives spoke in memory of the six members of the 187th Fighter Wing family that were lost this past year. Retired Air National Guard Maj. Gen. Marvin S. "Scott" Mayes former commander of the 187th Fighter Wing delivered this year's keynote address.

"The people we are honoring today made me a better person. Most of the names that were added, I knew personally," said General Mayes. "They paved the way and it's up to us to keeping moving the Air Force forward."

The names of the six members honored during the ceremony were engraved onto a granite tablet, and added to list of 175 Dannelly Field members who have fallen over the years.