Teller County honored U.S. Army Sgt. Ben Pennington in a ceremony Aug. 23 in Mt. Pisgah Cemetery in Cripple Creek. Pennington, 26, was the seventh U.S. soldier killed in Operation Epic Fury, a war that began in February.

Stationed at Fort Carson and deployed with the 1^st Space Battalion and 1^st Space Brigade with the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command, Pennington was wounded in an attack March 1 at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.

“His unit was undoubtedly targeted as combat operations began due to the critical role it played in protecting our deployed forces and allies,” said Dan Williams, combat veteran, Teller County commissioner and commander of the American Legion Post #1980. “Despite heroic efforts on the battlefield to save him and the efforts of countless doctors and nurses, he succumbed to his wounds on March 8.”

Pennington’s name will be among those engraved in granite on Mt. Pisgah’s Memorial Wall.

Chief Master Sgt. Bill Martin with the American Legion Post #171 served as master of ceremonies.

“Our purpose this afternoon is to reflect on the wall before us. Not the wall itself, but the names on it,” Martin said. “These are the names of military personnel from the Pikes Peak region who have given their lives in service and duty to their country since Sept. 11, 2001. The wall was first dedicated in 2007.” 

Martin and Williams spoke to an audience of Teller County veterans, active-duty military, officials and residents.

“To the family of Sgt. Benjamin N. Pennington there are no words that we can say today that will heal the wound, no words that will make the pain of his loss go away, but know that in this special place, high in the Rocky Mountains, we are gathered to remember and memorialize Ben for all time,” Williams said. “Know that we are a people and a community that is saddened by his loss and that we remain grateful to him for his commitment and sacrifice to our continued freedom. Today, by inscribing his name onto granite we commit that this community, county and state will never forget his sacrifice to his country.”

In his address, Williams specifically named members of Pennington’s family, his parents, sister, grandmother, aunts, uncles and cousins who were not present that day. Pennington lived in Glendale, Ky.

“Your nation owes you its gratitude for your sacrifice beyond measure; the loss of any family member fills us with deep pain but the loss of a son, a grandson, a brother and a nephew is almost unbearable,” Williams said. “Today those of us assembled in Cripple Creek and Teller County stand with Ben and his family, to recognize and honor his sacrifice.”

Williams and 4^th Infantry Division Chaplain Joshua McKay laid a wreath of flowers on the granite stone with Pennington’s name inscribed.

The Pennington family received a video of the ceremony.