Senator Marshall: Monuments Like This Are Our Eternal Storytellers
Senator Marshall Speaks at Fort Riley During Gold Star Family Weekend
Washington – On Friday, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas), addressed a gathering of Gold Star Families at Fort Riley for the dedication of the base’s new Gold Star Family Memorial. 13,578 names are etched on the granite monument, each a man or woman who died while in service of this country, serving in the legendary 1st Infantry Division.
Constituted on May 24, 1917, the First Infantry Division – Or Big Red One – is the oldest continuously serving division in the United States Army. They are the first to leap into the fire of our nation’s fiercest battles: World War I, World War II, Vietnam, and Desert Storm.
Click HERE or on the image above to watch Senator Marshall’s full remarks.
Senator Marshall’s full speech as delivered:
“Good afternoon, everyone. It’s an honor to stand here before you today under this vast Kansas sky with no wind blowing, as we dedicate a monument that stands as a Silent Sentinel to the fallen heroes of the First Infantry Division, the legendary Big Red One.
“To those of you whose cherished loved ones are etched among the 13,578 names on this granite testament, thank you. Your quiet strength and unwavering support made it possible for them to charge into the fray, running towards the sound of the battle, defending the freedoms we hold dear.
“Let me borrow some wisdom from Kansas giant Senator Bob Dole, who once captured the essence perfectly. This is what Senator Dole said: ‘What we dedicate today is not a memorial to war, rather, it’s a tribute to the physical and moral courage that makes heroes out of farm and city kids and inspires Americans in every generation to lay down their lives for people they will never meet and for ideas that make life itself worth living.’
“Senator Dole’s words about physical and moral courage hit us all like a thunderclap. Today we’re surrounded by living embodiments of it: our Gold Star families, all the active duty warriors and veterans who proudly bore and bear the Big Red One patch.
“You’ve all stared down the storm, emerging as heroes along those 13,578 souls whose stories echo through time.
“To truly honor them, we must paint the vivid tapestry of the division’s legacy. Born on May 24, 1917, it’s the US Army’s enduring elder statesman, the first to leap into the fire of our nation’s fiercest battles. World War One to Vietnam, Desert Storm, always the tip of the spear, charging ahead with unyielding grit.
“If you could picture with me in World War I, they stormed France’s muddy trenches, becoming the first to bridge the Rhine into enemy territory. Amid brutal chaos, 5516 soldiers fell, but five rose to claim the Medal of Honor for acts that defy imagination.
“Fast forward to World War II. They orchestrated the surrender of nearly 250,000 Axis troops in North Africa’s scorching sands. And at General Patton’s beckon, they crashed onto Sicily shores, then etched eternal glory on D-Day at Omaha Beach. Imagine young soldiers sprinting 300 yards; that’s three football fields of hellfire with nothing but valor as their shield. They carved a path across Europe to Czechoslovakia. 4325 gave their all, 17 earning Medals of Honor.
“After the war, they rooted down right here at Fort Riley. But peace was fleeting. In 1965, they were the first boots on Vietnam’s tangled ground, battling with fierce resolve. 3079 lost 11 Medals of Honor, shining through the haze.
“Amid the resounding victory of Operation Desert Storm, where the First Division led the charge through Iraq’s vaunted defenses, sweeping through the Highway of Death and onto Southon Airfield, obliterating divisions, capturing 1000s. 27 more heroes ascended to the ranks of the fallen, their units cloaked in valorous citations that echo the role in turning the tide against oppression.
“From 1996 to 2003, the Big Red One stood as peacekeepers in Bosnia and Kosovo’s fractured lands. Then from 2003 to 2011, they were leading Operation Iraqi Freedom from the heart of Tikrit, Saddam’s own backyard, and amid intense urban storms. 439 sacrifices etched in memory.
“2008 through 2013 in Afghanistan. In just one blistering year, elements endured over 2000 firefights, unleashing over 1000 bombs, 26,000 artillery rounds, with 500 Purple Hearts as badges of unbreakable spirit. 192 more joined the eternal guard.
“By 2014, they shattered ISIS in Operation Inherent Resolve’s relentless push. In 2016, they fought in Operation Freedom Sentinel, hunting Al Qaeda and ISIS-K. One life was claimed that same year.
“They bolstered Inherent Resolve in Afghanistan and in 2017, 4000 deployed to Europe for Atlantic Resolve, a bulwark against Russian shadows.
“Today, the Big Red One is scattered across the world, helping to secure our borders and protecting the freedom of whole continents.
“‘No mission too difficult. No sacrifice too great. Duty first.’”
“As General Rone said, these words aren’t just a model. They’re the heartbeat of a legend, stirring pride that swells the chest like a Kansas prairie wind.
“Now, who is the Big Red One you ask? Well, to me, they’re pure epic – forged in fire and freedom.
“We gather to celebrate those who turned the ordinary into the extraordinary.
“But today’s tribute extends beyond to you, our Gold Star families. Your presence here today inspires each of us. Your resilience is a quiet force like roots anchoring an ancient oak through the fiercest gales.
“Let me draw from Psalm 23, which was hand-picked for President Eisenhower’s own farewell: ‘the Lord is our shepherd, comforting us even in the valley of the shadows, his rod and his staff guiding us to green pastures of goodness and mercy where we dwell in His house forever.’
“And another verse from the psalmist has been especially comforting to me over these past few days. From Psalms 34, ‘the Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.’ The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
“And I know that every Gold Star family has felt those moments when you were crushed in spirit. And there’s no words that will ever erase your ache, no words that will replace the hole in your heart for missing your loved one. But I pray that these scriptures and Almighty God would whisper that his divine comfort is ever near you in your sorrow.
“Again, to the Gold Star families, your loved ones, daring deeds have painted indelible strokes on our nation’s canvas. And none of it without you – your fervent prayers for a son or daughter overseas, the heartfelt letters to a child, a grandchild in uniform, the home fires kept burning for children while a spouse faced the unknown – your sacrifices fueled their valor, and today we bow in gratitude to all you Gold Star families.
“I’ve walked a mile in these boots, somewhat. Military service threads through my family like a river. From the Civil War to my own days in uniform, and now my son carrying the torch in the Army. I can’t fathom the depths of your loss, but I stand in awe of your grace.
“No words can measure our thanks to your void. But know this: your loved ones, patriotism, and sacrifice is a blazing star in history’s night sky. We salute your enduring strength. And I pray we’ll all live a life worthy of their sacrifice.
“Thank you, and may the memory of your loved one forever light our path.
“I want to stop and say a heartfelt salute to those who helped make this day possible. The Manhattan Community Foundation, especially Christine Penny. And my own staffer Tyler Mason and so many of all who make this memorial possible.
“Thank you, Manhattan Community Foundation, Christine Tyler, and everybody else. Your tireless efforts, bolstering our soldiers on base, embracing their families like your own, and now immortalizing those who gave everything, shine like a beacon in our Fort Riley community.
“Monuments like this are eternal storytellers, whispering lessons of courage to generations yet and born. Behold, very soon the six-foot slab of midnight black granite inscribed with the toll of duty, Americans’ bold sons and daughters who offer ideas that ignite the human spirit.
“Facing west towards the division’s flagpole, it symbolizes and swerving pledge to the Big Red One, ever a vanguard in our quest for a more perfect union.
“It stands proud along its kin. The First Infantry Division monument in Washington, DC,’s Presidential shadow, erected by World War One veterans and freshly rededicated last Memorial Day to include our post-Cold War heroes.
“Hats off to the society of the First Infantry Division for safeguarding it and those poignant European markers in France, Belgium, Tunisia, and the Czech Republic, all echoes of valor across oceans. Together, they form a global chorus honoring the Division’s selfless warriors.
“As I reflect on over 13,578 Big Red One souls who paid the ultimate sacrifice across the century, I want to echo General Eisenhower. Again, quoting General Eisenhower: ‘I hate war as only a soldier who’s lived it can. Only as one who’s seen its brutality, its futility and its stupidity.’
“Yet, if Ike were here, he’d kindle hope like a dawn sunrise, championing their service as guardians of peace, urging robust support for military families, calling for national unity and reverence, and extolling the timeless triad of duty, honor, and country.
“If I could circle back to Senator Dole one last time today: this isn’t a shrine to conflict, but it’s a vibrant ode to courage. The kind that transforms everyday folks into legends, inspiring us all to chase liberty, life, and happiness with unbridled zeal.
“On this Gold Star family weekend, we pour out a measure of the boundless gratitude that you all deserve. By enshrining them here, we affirm that their noble sacrifices make every breath of freedom worth saving.
“We hope this monument, this memorial, will serve as a reminder for all of us to live a life worthy of their life and your sacrifice.
“May God bless the indomitable First Infantry Division, each of you gathered here, Gold Star Families everywhere, our great State of Kansas, and these United States of America.”
Background:
- Senator Marshall has routinely hosted Gold Star Families and the men and women of the Big Red One in Washington, D.C., for Memorial Day ceremonies.
- On Memorial Day 2024, Senator Marshall participated in the rededication of the Washington, DC, monument to reflect the names of the fallen Big Red One soldiers from the post-Cold War era.
- For seven years, Senator Marshall has worked tirelessly to ensure that our fallen Big Red One Soldiers were rightfully honored at the First Division Infantry Monument located in Washington, D.C., outside of the White House. In order to get each fallen soldier’s name added, it takes an act of Congress. That’s why Senator Marshall introduced, then as a Congressman, the First Act.
- In 2025, Senator Marshall introduced a resolution to celebrate the 250th birthday of the United States Army, honoring its storied history from the American Revolution to the Global War on Terror. The resolution also honors the bravery and patriotism of soldiers and veterans from Fort Riley and Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, the former of which also joined Senator Marshall at the Army’s 250th birthday parade on June 14, in Washington, D.C.
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Contact: Payton Fuller
