Local Area Maintains Strong Military Ties with International Conflict
Rick Langenberg
The link between the Pikes Peak region and the Iran war continues to hit home with a somber message relayed by our veteran military leaders: “Remember our Fallen Heroes.”
And moreover, don’t fall into the pitfalls of the Vietnam War when political differences put a scar on the sacrifices made by America’s military personnel. “Remember the lessons of Vietnam,” said Teller County Commissioner Dan Williams, a highly decorated former U.S. Army colonel and combat veteran who served extensively in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
This theme was highlighted big time during an emotional ceremony held during the annual rededication of the Pikes Peak Memorial Wall at the Mt. Pisgah Cemetery in Cripple Creek on Aug. 23.
For the first time in several years, a new name was added to the memorial wall that honors military veterans based in the Pikes Peak region (namely Teller and El Paso counties) who have died in conflicts overseas, since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks that targeted New York City, Washington D.C. and possibly the White House.
More specifically, the recent ceremony honored U.S. Army Seargeant Benjamin N. Pennington of Kentucky, who served with the First Space Battalion, First Space Brigade of the Space and Missile Defense Command. Pennington was killed died during an attack that occurred at the Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudia Arabia on March 1, 2026. He succumbed to wounds the sergeant incurred from this attack about a week later.
Pennington was the seventh member of the armed forces to die in the war against Iran, which started in late February. To date, (as of this writing) 18 Americans have been killed during the early stages of the “Epic Fury” operation, and nearly 800 have suffered injuries.
Ironically, Pennington, who served in the U.S. Army for about six years, was killed in the same attack that wounded another local veteran, U.S. Army Major Stephen Ramsbottom of Cripple Creek. Ramsbottom, who was honored by the Teller County commissioners at a special meeting last spring, attended the recent ceremony at the Mt. Pisgah Cemetery. He also spoke during the main signature ceremony that capped the 2026 Salute to American Veterans Rally.
Sadly, Williams noted that the Space Battalion is often “the first target to take out” during today’s more modern warfare. Williams lauded the service and contributions made by Sgt. Pennington and grieved the loss now experienced by his family, friends and fellow officers.
As he often does at veterans’ tributes, Williams expressed hope that the sacrifices of U.S. military personnel could help bridge the nation’s political divisions. As with the Vietnam War, the current conflict has strong local support but faces widespread opposition nationwide.
Williams, though, highlighted some consoling words made by former President Abraham Lincoln in the Gettysburg Address, regarded as possibly the greatest speech made by a commander-in-chief during a brutal conflict.
“The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here…but it can never forget what they did here…and so it is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated to the unfinished work which they fought for to thus be nobly advanced,” stated Lincoln, who concluded this speech with the famous punch line, “that government of the people, by the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
Despite mixed opinions about the Iran conflict, Williams reminded the attendees that Teller County has a welcoming heart for veterans, a fact symbolized by the plethora of Purple Heart signs displayed throughout the county. “We will never forget,” stressed Williams, in proclaiming the area’s strong support of current and former military veterans and the sacrifices they endure.
Williams said that veterans often leave their families and friends for dangerous missions overseas with the lingering reality, “they may never come back.”
The Pikes Peak Memorial Wall ceremony also featured the same rituals that have highlighted this event over the last two decades. That included the laying of a wreath at the Wall, this time in honor of Sgt. Pennington. In addition, another highlight was the ringing of the Honor Bell, orchestrated by the Englewood-based Honor Bell Foundation, and featuring seven solemn tolls.
The Memorial Wall was a Cripple Creek project spearheaded by former Cripple Creek City Administrator Bill McPherson about 20 years ago. It set the stage for a designated spot at the Mt. Pisgah Cemetery to pay tribute to those who perished during the war against terrorism. In the last two decades, this ceremony, which usually occurs every year, takes place on the day following the Salute to American Veterans Rally.
