FORT BENNING, Ga. (June 17, 2015) -- "It wasn't just me ... it was our entire unit out there fighting together ... it's for every single one of us, it's for the effort we all put in there and it's for the names that are on the wall behind me," said former Sgt. Kyle White, Medal of Honor recipient after his name was etched into the 173rd Airborne Brigade National Memorial.
During the June 13 ceremony, members of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Memorial Foundation and Association gathered to honor White and Staff Sgt. Ryan Pitts by adding their names to the monument located at the National Infantry Museum Memorial Walk of Honor. White and Pitts became the 15th and 16th names on the memorial that was originally dedicated June 1, 2010.
Raymond C. Ramirez, 173rd Airborne Brigade National Memorial Foundation board member, opened the ceremony by telling about the brigade's Medal of Honor recipients.
"Some of our heroes were born in the United States and Puerto Rico, the other two from Mexico and Hungary," Ramirez said. "They all would join the U.S. Army and serve with the 'Sky Soldiers' of the 173rd Airborne Brigade and one day be honored with the Medal of Honor."
Retired Lt. Col. Kenneth Smith, president of the 173rd Airborne Brigade National Memorial Foundation, said the 173rd Airborne Brigade has a long-standing reputation for being one of the Army's premiere brigades.
The 173rd Airborne Brigade has the most Medal of Honor recipients in a single unit. This is a testimony to frequency of which the Army uses the brigade, placing it in harm's way in some of the most difficult and demanding conflicts in the past 50 years. This speaks to the courage and intrepidity of the Soldiers that wear the 173rd patch, Smith said.
After having his name unveiled on the monument's Medal of Honor wall, Staff Sgt. Ryan Pitts read off the names of the nine Sky Soldiers who fell during the fire fight for which he was awarded the nation's highest honor for valor.
"There are 30 plus Americans who are here today because of their actions," he said. "I had a daughter last week, I have a son and it is all because of what they did. They fought with such veracity so the rest of us could come home. It is (their) award, I am just the caretaker, and it's their names you should know."
Before concluding the ceremony, Smith asked for all Gold Star Families in attendance to stand. There were more than 10 Families who stood.
Debra Yashinski, Gold Star mother and advisory board member for the 173rd Airborne Brigade Memorial Foundation, said that having the memorial close enough for her to drive eight hours makes her grieving process much easier.
"Here I can come and touch my son's name, I can feel his presence here, so it makes it all worthwhile," she said.
Yashinski, whose friends in the 173rd community refer to her as "Mommaski," said the only other monument bearing her son's name would require a costly trip to Vicenza, Italy.
The ceremony ended with the placing of roses in front of the wall for "The Fallen," honoring White and Pitts' wishes to remember their fallen brethren.
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