Quartermasters honor heroes of their past during consecutive dedication ceremonies

By CourtesySeptember 30, 2020

FORT LEE, VA. -- After thanking everyone involved for the honor bestowed upon his late wife and him, retired Lt. Gen. Arthur J. Gregg shared stories of those who inspired him during the dedication of a namesake wall at the Army Quartermaster Museum Sept. 25. His was one of four Quartermaster Corps dedications taking place on Fort Lee that day. Ceremonies also recognized the late Maj. Gen. Eugene L. Stillions Jr., the late Chief Warrant Officer 4 Ernest H. Sexton and the late Col. Gregory S. Townsend.
1 / 7 Show Caption + Hide Caption – FORT LEE, VA. -- After thanking everyone involved for the honor bestowed upon his late wife and him, retired Lt. Gen. Arthur J. Gregg shared stories of those who inspired him during the dedication of a namesake wall at the Army Quartermaster Museum Sept. 25. His was one of four Quartermaster Corps dedications taking place on Fort Lee that day. Ceremonies also recognized the late Maj. Gen. Eugene L. Stillions Jr., the late Chief Warrant Officer 4 Ernest H. Sexton and the late Col. Gregory S. Townsend. (Photo Credit: Tammy Reed) VIEW ORIGINAL
FORT LEE, VA. -- Family members of the late Maj. Gen. Eugene L. Stillions Jr. reminisce as they look through a memory book given to them during a dedication ceremony for a field in his name Sept. 25. His ceremony was one of four Quartermaster Corps dedications taking place on Fort Lee that day. Ceremonies also recognized retired Lt. Gen. Arthur J. Gregg, the late Chief Warrant Officer 4 Ernest H. Sexton and the late Col. Gregory S. Townsend.
2 / 7 Show Caption + Hide Caption – FORT LEE, VA. -- Family members of the late Maj. Gen. Eugene L. Stillions Jr. reminisce as they look through a memory book given to them during a dedication ceremony for a field in his name Sept. 25. His ceremony was one of four Quartermaster Corps dedications taking place on Fort Lee that day. Ceremonies also recognized retired Lt. Gen. Arthur J. Gregg, the late Chief Warrant Officer 4 Ernest H. Sexton and the late Col. Gregory S. Townsend. (Photo Credit: Tammy Reed) VIEW ORIGINAL
FORT LEE, VA. -- Maj. Gen. Rodney D. Fogg, CASCOM and Fort Lee commanding general, shares stories of the racism affecting retired Lt. Gen. Arthur J. Gregg and his wife Charlene during their time at Fort Lee.
3 / 7 Show Caption + Hide Caption – FORT LEE, VA. -- Maj. Gen. Rodney D. Fogg, CASCOM and Fort Lee commanding general, shares stories of the racism affecting retired Lt. Gen. Arthur J. Gregg and his wife Charlene during their time at Fort Lee. (Photo Credit: Tammy Reed) VIEW ORIGINAL
Sexton family members and friends listen as Chief Warrant Officer 5 Kenneth Hicks recalls their father, CW4 Ernest Sexton.
4 / 7 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Sexton family members and friends listen as Chief Warrant Officer 5 Kenneth Hicks recalls their father, CW4 Ernest Sexton. (Photo Credit: Tammy Reed) VIEW ORIGINAL
FORT LEE, VA. -- Joyce Sexton shares stories about her dad, Chief Warrant Officer 4 Ernest H. Sexton, during the rededication ceremony of Sexton Hall.
5 / 7 Show Caption + Hide Caption – FORT LEE, VA. -- Joyce Sexton shares stories about her dad, Chief Warrant Officer 4 Ernest H. Sexton, during the rededication ceremony of Sexton Hall. (Photo Credit: Tammy Reed) VIEW ORIGINAL
FORT LEE, VA. -- Dr. Charles and Dianne Townsend-Kroncke admire the plaque and building now honoring her son Col. Gregory Townsend Sept. 25 at what was formerly the 23rd Quartermaster Brigade headquarters.
6 / 7 Show Caption + Hide Caption – FORT LEE, VA. -- Dr. Charles and Dianne Townsend-Kroncke admire the plaque and building now honoring her son Col. Gregory Townsend Sept. 25 at what was formerly the 23rd Quartermaster Brigade headquarters. (Photo Credit: Tammy Reed) VIEW ORIGINAL
FORT LEE, VA. -- During a memorial wall dedication at the Quartermaster Museum Sept. 25, Army QM Foundation President and Retired Maj. Gen. Richard E.  Beale listed the many accomplishments of retired Lt. Gen. Arthur J. Gregg, including the lesser-known historical fact that he was the Army’s first African-American promoted to three-star general. Beale also talked about the accomplishments of Gregg's late wife Charlene who co-authored the book in his hand.
7 / 7 Show Caption + Hide Caption – FORT LEE, VA. -- During a memorial wall dedication at the Quartermaster Museum Sept. 25, Army QM Foundation President and Retired Maj. Gen. Richard E. Beale listed the many accomplishments of retired Lt. Gen. Arthur J. Gregg, including the lesser-known historical fact that he was the Army’s first African-American promoted to three-star general. Beale also talked about the accomplishments of Gregg's late wife Charlene who co-authored the book in his hand. (Photo Credit: Tammy Reed) VIEW ORIGINAL

Four heroes of the Quartermaster Corps were honored in back-to-back ceremonies here Friday, all of them featuring family members of the fallen and one with the honoree himself in attendance.

A sports field was dedicated to Maj. Gen. Eugene L. Stillions Jr. A wall was unveiled in the Army Quartermaster Museum honoring the contributions of Lt. Gen. Arthur J. Gregg and his wife Charlene. A dining facility was named in honor of Chief Warrant Officer 4 Ernest H. Sexton, and a brigade headquarters building was bestowed with the name of Col. Gregory S. Townsend. At the events, featured speakers described each honoree’s self-sacrificing character and dedication to the mission as well as the people they led.

Due to rain, the 262nd QM Battalion moved its sports field dedication indoors. Virginia Stillions, their son Mark and other family members were joined by a large contingent of QM Hall of Fame inductees. Speaking at the ceremony, Col. Michelle K. Donahue, 56th QM General, shared her thoughts about Stillions’ significance to the corps and the Army.

“Maj. Gen. Stillions memorialized the legacy of quartermasters past, present and future,” she said. “He designed the regimental crest and colors, and he flagged each battalion in the brigade with lineage and honors. He initiated the Regimental Honors program and later the QM Hall of Fame.”

More importantly, she continued, he built relationships and ensured logisticians always had a seat at the table.

“His savvy approach to leadership marked him as a very shrewd decision maker,” Donahue said. “He partnered with Congressman Norman Sisisky and paved the way for two decades of infrastructure development on Fort Lee.”

Retired Maj. Gen. Richard E. Beale Jr. delved further into Stillions’ accomplishments on Fort Lee when he spoke of his former commander, long-time mentor and good friend.

“It has been my privilege to know every quartermaster of the modern era … most of them well and several of them counted among my closest professional colleagues and personal friends. However, in my professional opinion, Eugene Stillions has been the most influential quartermaster general of the Army since the title was reactivated nearly 40 years ago,” he observed.

He included a number of reasons for that opinion, but the main one affecting Fort Lee was Stillions’ relationship with Sisisky who he worked with to develop the installation military construction plans to rebuild Fort Lee over the next 10 to 15 years.

“Between Norman Sisisky and Gene Stillions, the amount of construction that was completed or underway at Fort Lee by 1994 kept the installation from being closed after it was initially listed on the 1995 Base Realignment and Closure List,” he said.

“It is most appropriate that this field is dedicated today to honor his service and memory. And is it not a double bonus, in fact even the hand of providence, that the man we honor today was also a wartime commander of the storied 262nd? History will now permanently link this great soldier and this great battalion.”

At the next ceremony in the museum, Maj. Gen. Rodney D. Fogg, CASCOM and Fort Lee commanding general, and Army QM Foundation President Beale listed the many accomplishments of that event’s honoree, Gregg, including the lesser-known historical fact that he was the Army’s first African-American promoted to three-star general.

Fogg elaborated on the difficulties he and his wife Charlene had as a black Army family in the 1950s and 60s. He described their having to live in segregated housing, get their hair done off-post, and drink from “blacks only” water fountains in downtown Petersburg.

“Lt. Gen. Gregg, like so many great African-American officers of that time, experienced racial discrimination. But, as he was persistent, polite and talented – my words, not his because he is also humble – he continued to thrive in the Army, rising in the ranks, taking on greater responsibility ... culminating as a lieutenant general and serving as the Army Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Army G-4, in 1979.

“He has always set an outstanding example for all Soldiers to emulate,” Fogg further observed. “There are very few people – almost no one – who has progressed from private to lieutenant general, a truly remarkable and admirable feat.”

He then surprised Gregg with another historical moment as a volunteer brought up a framed certificate for presentation by the CG.

“I would like to mention that Lt. Gen. Gregg also is being inducted into the Maneuver Center of Excellence Officer Candidates School’s Hall of Fame. They, too, have recognized his immense contributions to the Army and the nation and his outstanding example for all aspiring leaders and Soldiers.”

Beale stepped up to the lectern after the presentation and talked of his history with the Greggs and told the story of how the wall came about.

“Naming the Corps’ Honors Wall in eternal memory of Arthur and Charlene Gregg recognizes their contributions and sacrifices toward advancing freedom and equality for all Soldiers and citizens of this nation,” he acknowledged.

“It recognizes the challenges and risks of being trailblazers for change and social justice. It recognizes that for the better part of their adult lives, to succeed as they did, they had to be the absolute best of the best in all they did.”

When he closed the ceremony, Gregg thanked everyone for their kind words and expressed gratitude for the honor.

“I am pleased the Wall of Honors we dedicated today carries the names Arthur and Charlene Gregg. The joint names recognize both of our contributions to the Quartermaster Corps, which was important to us during our 57-year journey together.

“I have always been a proud quartermaster. I have always done my best to serve her well, and I have been richly rewarded,” he concluded.

At the dedication ceremony of the 244th Quartermaster Battalion DFAC, Chief Warrant Officer 5 Kenneth Hicks explained how Sexton was another quartermaster who had served the corps well during his 31 years of service, rising from cook to chief food service instructor. He talked of his life as the dash between a birthdate and the day of death on his headstone.

“His dash influenced and shaped many ongoing food service modernization initiatives,” Hicks said. “The very building we are rededicating today is a direct result of his contributions to facility and equipment design, menu development ... and groundbreaking nutrition awareness programs that significantly provided the foundation to our coveted Army Commitment To Improve Overall Nutrition.

“Because of his ‘action,’ we are embarking upon the greatest movement in the history of Army food service,” Hicks continued. “Because of his great contributions ... for decades to come, we’ll be able to provide first-class service to America’s most prized possessions, its sons and daughters. As Soldiers train for an uncertain future, we can be assured that this dining facility will be here to provide the highest quality of service and ensure our Soldiers receive the optimal nutritious meals available.

“We can all learn from the life well-lived by CW4 Sexton. ... Make your dash count.”

Sexton’s daughter Joyce shared a few poignant stories of her dad’s dedication to the Army and his fellow Soldiers. She then explained that Sexton Hall was originally dedicated in 1995 at the request of Col. H. B. Watts, a long-time friend and co-worker of her dad. That building has since been replaced with a new facility.

“After my dad’s retirement from the Army, he went back as a civilian to do the same job he did while in the Army. Col. Watts would always say my dad was very modest and did not like having attention called to himself. With such a long career in food service, Watts felt my dad was the right person to have the food service headquarters named after him.

“Since the start of this rededication journey, there were many helpers along the way to get us to where we are now. ... Thank you again to everyone who has been a part of our family with Sexton DFAC.”

The last ceremony at the 23rd QM Brigade headquarters held hints of a long-lasting sadness for a Soldier gone too soon. Col. Gregory S. Townsend, the 30th brigade commander, died from injuries sustained in an accident on April 22, 2019. He was helping a stranger change a tire on the side of the road.

Sgt. Maj. Lisa M. Clark was command sergeant major during Townsend’s tenure, and she struggled tearfully through happy memories as she spoke.

“Col. Townsend defined himself with three words: faith, family and Army ... but he would always say you can’t forget Auburn (the famed Alabama college football team). He led through those words.

“His faith kept us inspired,” Clark continued. “He led the brigade with a passion for excellence. ... Family, he would share a story about his weekend with Jennifer and the kids, and his face would light up with joy. He was so proud of his children. ... He was never too busy to speak to a Soldier and ask about their family. Army, this was his calling. He was a phenomenal Soldier and servant leader who worked hard to get the job done. ...

“And Auburn, in his words paint the sky orange and blue. He was a true fan, and when they won he would walk around headquarters playing their fight song and singing along as well. He led with his heart and oftentimes placed the needs of others before himself,” she acknowledged.

Dr. Charles and Dianne Townsend-Kroncke represented the family at the ceremony, and his mom thanked everyone for such an honor bestowed on her son. She then spoke proudly of him and his life.

“We cherish this honor and humbly thank each of you for creating this legacy,” she said. “Greg aspired to giving his best. He was proud of his military career and had a unique ability to connect and inspire others. He prided himself on each accomplishment, but never at the expense of another person. He was generous to all he met. ... Even to the end, Greg was thinking of others and how he could help them.

“He loved and cared for his soldiers, and by the many tears shed on my visit here at the time of his death, you shared that deep and devoted affection. ... We will always be grateful for the kindness and love you so generously shared with us as we stood frozen in that darkest moment of our life,” Townsend-Kroncke added.

“May all who walk the halls of this beautiful facility be called to a greater purpose of discipline and courage. ... and may God bless each of you.”

During her speech, Townsend-Kroncke quoted John Quincy Adams, offering a passage that could be said of all four men honored Friday.