First Battalion, 61st Infantry Regiment paid a solemn tribute to the service and sacrifice of Roadrunners who fought in Southeast Asia during a wreath laying at the unit’s Vietnam Memorial March 31.
“Today we have the honor of standing in the presence of these men, these warriors and their Family to rededicate this monument and reaffirm our commitment to their legacy,” said Lt. Col. Colin O’Toole, 1-61st commander, about the Vietnam veterans at the event. “These men of the 1-61 faced insurmountable odds and hardships and created a bond forged through adversity and dedication to themselves and each other.”
O’Toole said they were there to “honor those who gave some and those who gave all.”
He added the monument was a “testament” to the determination of the battalion every day.
Staff Sgt. Joseph Htway from Company E, 1st Bn., 61st Infantry Regiment, and retired Maj. Leigh Blood placed the wreath at the foot of the memorial.
The wreath is a symbol of the 1-61st’s enduring gratitude and was laid in memory for those who fell, in honor of those who returned, and in recognition of all the sacrifices made by those who served in the battalion.
“It is quite the honor and very emotional for me,” said Blood, who was chosen by the veterans present to place the wreath. “I didn’t know the individuals we are honoring, but we are all connected with a shared experience of that time.”
He said he was the last person from the unit to leave Quang Tri, Vietnam.
The battalion traces its lineage to 1917 when the regiment was organized and later assigned to the 5th Infantry Division and deployed to Europe during World War I. In 1921, the regiment was inactivated at Camp Jackson. The unit was again activated at Fort Carson, Colorado in 1962 and again assigned to the 5th Infantry Division. The 1st Battalion, 61st Infantry Regiment was organized as a mechanized infantry battalion and deployed to Vietnam in 1968.
Today the unit is conducting the Future Soldier Preparatory Course for individuals that need to either raise their academic scores of lower their body fat percentages to qualify to enter Basic Combat Training.
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