Wyoming honors fallen at third Joseph A. Padilla Military Tribute Banner ceremony

WPhotos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/wyoguard/albums/72177720330310236  

Wyoming National Guard 

By Joseph Coslett Jr. 

CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Families, friends and service members filled the Wyoming State Museum on Nov. 6, 2025, for the third Joseph A. Padilla Military Tribute Banner presentation, a solemn ceremony that blended remembrance and community pride in Cheyenne, Wyoming. 

Hosted by organizer Annette Padilla Williams, daughter of World War II veteran Tech Sgt. Arthur A. Padilla, sister of Army Specialist Joseph A. Padilla (KIA, Vietnam, May 18, 1968), and spouse of Air Force Vietnam veteran Rich Williams. The event opened with the American Legion Post 6 Color Guard and a stirring National Anthem performed by Abby Petri and Kourtney Keller. 

“This day, and every day, is about thanking our military service members and their families for keeping us safe in wartime and peacetime,” Annette Williams said. “No one should ever have the right to erase our loved ones’ service with the swipe of a pen.” She also thanked the volunteers who installed more than 45 Military Tribute Banners at Blue Federal Credit Union, 2401 E. Pershing Blvd., noting the display remains up through November 30. 

Brig. Gen. Barry Deibert, Wyoming National Guard Air Component Commander, reflected on the quiet bonds among Veterans. He shared a story about visiting his father, a Korean War Veteran, during a “coffee hour” at an assisted-living home in Laramie. The conversation didn’t drift to combat tales, he said, but to the universal hardships that knit Veterans together: bad chow, rough rides, and shared humor. 

“It’s really hard to get to talking about war stories. They just don’t,” Deibert said. “But the pride and sacrifice are there. To Gold Star families: We see your pain, and we see your pride. Your loved ones’ names, legacies and stories will never be forgotten.” 

Dwight Null, commander of American Legion Post 6, thanked supporters who stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Veterans long after the uniform comes off. 

“The number one thing I saw help Veterans is their spouse, brother, sister, mother, dad, or best friend,” Null said. “There is nothing more sacred to a Veteran than that kind of support.” 

Nick Warren, Survivor Outreach Services coordinator for Wyoming and Colorado, urged the community to carry remembrance into the holidays. Quoting leaders and Scripture, he said, “We should not mourn our fallen Soldiers, rather we should thank God that these men lived.” He added from John 15:13: “Greater love has no one than this: To lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” 

Lissa Johnson, an American Gold Star Mother from northern Colorado, called on Wyoming’s Gold Star mothers to activate their existing, but currently unfilled, state chapter. Dressed in white, she explained the century-old tradition that symbolizes hope amid grief. 

“Our mission is to keep the memory of our sons and daughters alive by serving Veterans, service members, their families and our communities,” Johnson said. “They are never truly gone until they are forgotten.” 

Gold Star father Brian McAdams honored his son, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Andrew McAdams, with an original poem, “A Time for Gratitude,” tracing a life of service, love of family and the simple comforts that sustain Soldiers far from home. “Spirits were lifted when I carried in a small Christmas tree with lights and silver bells,” he read, before closing with the date his son died in Afghanistan, Jan. 10, 2014, “Heaven’s gate opens.” 

Audience members then shared memories underscoring how service ripples through generations. One speaker recalled the power of letters and care packages in Vietnam; another thanked volunteers for placing banners that now include loved ones’ names and faces. 

To close, Rich Williams, Air Force Vietnam veteran and longtime F.E. Warren AFB community member, conducted an honor roll, reading the names of Wyoming and northern Colorado Fallen from World War II to Iraq and Afghanistan, including Army Specialist Joseph A. Padilla of C Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division, USARV (1946–1968). 

“For those in uniform serving today, for those who served in the past, and for those who gave the ultimate sacrifice, we honor you today and every day,” Williams said. 

Honoring Veterans from Wyoming and Northern Colorado 

1. Pfc. Arthuro Archuleta, U.S. Army — Korean War — Northern Colorado 
    
2. Sgt. Ernie Balland, U.S. Army — Vietnam War — Northern Colorado 
    
3. Spc. 4 Max E. Barela, U.S. Army — Vietnam War — Northern Colorado 
    
4. Pfc. James R. Brower, U.S. Army — Korean War — Wyoming 
    
5. Pfc. Jordan M. “Doc” Byrd, U.S. Army — Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom) — Wyoming 
    
6. Spc. Casey D. Daniels, Wyoming National Guard — Afghanistan — Wyoming 
    
7. Staff Sgt. Bonifacio M. Duran, U.S. Air Force — Vietnam War — Northern Colorado 
    
8. Pfc. Mariano S. Fonseca, U.S. Army — Korean War — Northern Colorado 
    
9. Sgt. 1st Class Francisco J. Garcia, U.S. Army — Iraq / Kuwait — Wyoming 
    
10. Paul Garcia, U.S. Army — Korean War — Northern Colorado 
     
11. Construction Electrician 3rd Class Kenneth Gaynor, U.S. Navy — Vietnam War — Northern Colorado 
     
12. Command Sgt. Maj. Kevin James Griffin, U.S. Army — Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom) — Wyoming 
     
13. Pfc. Tobias Gutierrez Sr., U.S. Army — World War II — Northern Colorado 
     
14. Lt. Col. Ray B. Hersman, U.S. Army — Vietnam War — Wyoming 
     
15. Pfc. Corey L. Hicks, U.S. Army — Iraq (Operation Iraqi Freedom) — Wyoming 

16. Chief Warrant Officer 2 Isaac N. Hubenthal, Army National Guard — — Wyoming 
     
17. Seaman (E-3) Lorenzo Hurtado, U.S. Navy — — Northern Colorado 
     
18. Spc. 4 Jay Martin Jensen, U.S. Army — Vietnam War — Northern Colorado 
     
19. Sgt. Robert L. Johnson, U.S. Army — Vietnam War — Wyoming 
     
20. Sgt. Kenneth W. Just, U.S. Air Force — Vietnam War — Wyoming 
     
21. Cpl. / Staff Sgt. Andres Lopez, U.S. Army / U.S. Air Force — World War II, Vietnam War — Northern Colorado 
     
22. Spc. Archie J. Martinez, U.S. Army — Vietnam War — Northern Colorado 
     
23. Chief Warrant Officer 2 Ray R. Martinez, Army National Guard — Vietnam War — Wyoming 
     
24. Pfc. Thomas A. Martinez, U.S. Army — Vietnam War — Northern Colorado 
     
25. Chief Warrant Officer 3 Andrew L. McAdams, Army National Guard — Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom) — Wyoming 
     
26. Pfc. Scott A. Miller, U.S. Army — Iraq (Operation Iraqi Freedom) — Wyoming 
     
27. Airman 1st Class Beverly Mitchell, U.S. Air Force — Korean War — Wyoming 
     
28. Master Sgt. Harold G. Mitchell, U.S. Air Force — Korean War — Wyoming 
     
29. Specialist 3 Hensel A. Nelson, U.S. Army — Vietnam War — Northern Colorado 
     
30. Capt. (West Point) Leif E. Nott, U.S. Army — Iraq (Operation Iraqi Freedom) — Wyoming 
     
31. Tech. Sgt. Arthur A. Padilla, U.S. Army — World War II (Global Conflict) — Wyoming 
     
32. Spc. 4 Joseph A. Padilla, U.S. Army — Vietnam War — Wyoming 
     
33. Pvt. Joseph B. Padilla, U.S. Army — World War II — Wyoming 
     
34. Tech. Sgt. John R. Randall, U.S. Air Force — Vietnam War — Wyoming 
     
35. Tech. Sgt. Ralph P. Redman, U.S. Air Force — Vietnam War — Wyoming 
     
36. Sgt. Charles L. Simons, U.S. Army — Vietnam War — Northern Colorado 
     
37. Sgt. John R. Simons, U.S. Air Force — Vietnam War — Northern Colorado 
     
38. Spc. 4 Richard E. Tabor, U.S. Army — Vietnam War (Counteroffensive Phase VII Campaign) — Northern Colorado 
     
39. Lance Cpl. Lawerence Torrez, U.S. Marine Corps — Vietnam War — Northern Colorado 
     
40. Staff Sgt. Vialquin A. Valdez, U.S. Army — World War II (POW/MIA) — Wyoming 
     
41. Seaman Clarence Varos, U.S. Navy — World War II — Northern Colorado 
     
42. Staff Sgt. James M. Zuniga, U.S. Marine Corps — Okinawa, Japan (World War II) — Northern Colorado 
     
43. Airman 1st Class George F. Zuniga, U.S. Air Force — World War II — Northern Colorado 

“Stay strong. Be proud,” Deibert told the crowd. “And Ride for the Brand.” 

Photo Caption: 

Families, veterans and Gold Star relatives gather at the Wyoming State Museum on Nov. 6, 2025, for the third Joseph A. Padilla Military Tribute Banner presentation, featuring the American Legion Post 6 Color Guard, National Anthem vocalists Abby Petri and Kourtney Keller, and speakers Brig. Gen. Barry Deibert, the Wyoming National Guard Air Component commander; American Legion Post 6 commander Dwight Null; Survivor Outreach Services coordinator Nick Warren; American Gold Star Mother Lissa Johnson; and Gold Star father Brian McAdams, to honor the fallen and support those who serve in Cheyenne, Wyoming. “To Gold Star families: We see your pain, and we see your pride. Your loved ones’ names, legacies and stories will never be forgotten,” Deibert said. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Joseph Coslett Jr. )