Fort Campbell in Montgomery County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)

Ceremonies and Honors

Gander Memorial

Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, May 4, 2024

1. Ceremonies and Honors Marker

Inscription. A special detail of Soldiers was recalled from holiday leave to meet the bodies at Dover, Delaware, and perform military honors. Each body was escorted home by a member of the U.S. Military. On December 16, 1985, President Ronald Reagan came to Fort Campbell to comfort the families and a grieving nation. In the years since, Soldiers and family regularly remember the loss of the Gander fallen.

"Some people think of members of the military as only warriors, fierce in their martial expertise. But the men and women we mourn today were peacemakers. They were there to protect life and preserve a peace, to act as a force for stability and hope and trust. Their commitment was as strong as their purpose was pure. And they were proud. They had a rendezvous with destiny and a potential they never failed to meet They were the ones of whom Christ spoke when He said, 'Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God."

"You do not grieve alone. We grieve as a nation, together, as together we say goodbye to those who died in the service of their country. In life they were our heroes, in death our loved ones,

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our darlings."

-excerpts from speech by President Ronald Reagan at Fort Campbell, 1985

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Events. A significant historical date for this entry is December 16, 1985.

Location. 36° 38.349′ N, 87° 27.388′ W. Marker is in Fort Campbell, Tennessee, in Montgomery County. It is on Tennessee Avenue north of Screaming Eagle Blvd, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 5702 Tennessee Ave, Fort Campbell KY 42223, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Middle Tennessee

and in the Highland Rim.

It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Upper South.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Trees (here, next to this marker); The Crash (here, next to this marker); In Memory of 248 soldiers of Task Force 3-502, Multinational Force and Observers, 101st Airborne Div

Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, May 4, 2024

2. Ceremonies and Honors Marker

(here, next to this marker); Blessed are the Peacemakers (a few steps from this marker); Task Force 3-502nd (a few steps from this marker); Multinational Force and Observers (a few steps from this marker); Camp David Accords (a few steps from this marker); Arab-Israeli War (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fort Campbell.

Credits. This page was last revised on June 15, 2024. It was originally submitted on June 11, 2024, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. This page has been viewed 129 times since then and 10 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 12, 2024, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.