FORT STEWART — Barbara Bilbrey recalls all the attributes of her son Charles Bilbrey Jr. and the effect he had on people.
The Bilbreys will mark another Christmas without their son, who was killed in late July 2007, and they came to Fort Stewart again on Saturday to take part in the 18th annual Wreaths for Warriors Walk.
The annual event concludes with the placing of a wreath on each of the 469 trees and stone markers along Warriors Walk. Families of those recognized with a marker are invited to come each year. Saturday was the Bilbreys’ fourth visit to Warriors Walk for the laying of wreaths.
“This is the most emotional of all the ceremonies we attend because it’s bringing the Christmas season in with Charlie and remembering all those years we spent with Charlie at Christmas time,” Barbara Bilbrey said. “There are 468 other families sitting at Christmas because they have a loss to deal with.”
Bilbrey was killed July 26, 2007, in Iraq when an improvised explosive device detonated under his vehicle. He was one of three soldiers killed in the blast, including Sgt. William Howdeshell, 37, and Spc. Jaime Rodriguez, who was 19 at the time. They were assigned to 5/7 Cavalry Squadron.
Bilbrey, an Owego, New York native, was just 21.
“He was just an incredible personality,” Barbara Bilbrey said. “He lived life loud. He was a highly intelligent kid who loved anime and DC Comics. But he wanted to be in the Army. He wanted to be in the thick of things.”
There are 469 crepe myrtles planted along Warriors Walk, one for each soldier assigned tField on Saturday. Her father, Spc. William Blount, was killed April 7, 2010, when an IED exploded under his vehicle in Iraq. He was assigned to 1/64 Armor Battalion and was just 21 years old.
Avery was not yet born when her father perished in Iraq.
Seeing the families return to Warriors Walk makes Jeff Fornshell, a vice president for the Wreaths for Warriors Walk organization, “makes me want to do it again next year.”
Fornshell’s own history with Warriors Walk goes back to its original dedication.
“Some of these soldiers I served with,” he said. “I’m really glad I am able to be part of this ceremony.”
The walk also is a reminder to the soldiers who leave Fort Stewart, either for another assignment or to become a civilian, that their fallen comrades are not forgotten.
“We wanted those soldiers to know the soldiers they lost would always be remembered by the community,” Fornshell said.
It’s a sentiment that echoes with the Bilbreys.
“They are not forgotten,” Barbara Bilbrey said. “Some of these trees have been here 20 years. But every year like clockwork, the 3rd ID is here, the soldiers are here, the other families are here. We’re still taking the time to step back and taking the time to remember their loved ones.”
Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, the commander of the 3rd Infantry Division, said it is their duty “to remember and honor their legacy.”
“The place symbolizes the sacrifices of all of our dog-faced soldiers,” he said. “These brave men and women are the epitome of courage.” Maj. Gen. Norrie also said the trees and markers represent “the storieso or attached to the 3rd Infantry Division killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, including one for the father of the singer at Saturday’s ceremony.
Avery Blount sang the national anthem at Cottrell of valor, sacrifice and undying commitment to our nation.”
“This living memorial will stand for generations to come,” he said, “a fitting tribute to our fallen soldiers and a constant reminder of the price of freedom.”
The division commander also praised the families of those honored along Warrior’s Walk and reiterated the call to “Your strength inspires us,” he said. “We must tell their stories and keep their memories alive. We do this more importantly, more viscerally, through ceremonies like this one today.”
Barbara Bilbrey remains in touch with the mother of one of the soldiers killed alongside her son. Coming back to Cottrell Field for the ceremony is also a reminder of the backing and embracing they get.
“The amount of support you get, from the community, from the other soldiers, from the other families … there is comfort in knowing we are not alone, in that there are people praying for us,” she said.
“You could feel very, very isolated in this process,” Bilbrey added. “The military has been wonderful for us, and they have made sure we know that Charlie is not forgotten and neither are any of the other 468 soldiers who are named here.”
