Photo by Eric Ayres
A new military banner flies in Elm Grove in honor of Capt. David VanCamp, who in 2011 was killed in action while serving the U.S. Army in Iraq. The banner was dedicated on Thursday as the Wheeling Military Banner program held its first ceremony of the year honoring local heroes who were killed in action.
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WHEELING – Family members and community leaders gathered outside the St. Mark Evangelical Lutheran Church Thursday in Elm Grove to honor Capt. David E. VanCamp with Wheeling's first military banner dedication ceremony of the year.
With more than 300 banners of military veterans posted throughout the city, the Wheeling banner program has grown significantly since launching less than two years ago. Ceremonies are held to dedicate banners honoring soldiers who were killed in action.
Thursday's program kicked off this year's slate of ceremonies scheduled to take place throughout the summer. VanCamp, a highly decorated military man and Wheeling native who was killed in action in Iraq in 2011 while serving in the U.S. Army, is the most recent KIA honoree in the city's military banner program's ever-growing roster of local heroes. He was 29.
“On behalf of our city of Wheeling and our country, we want to say thank you and express our endless gratitude for Capt. VanCamp and all of our veterans,†said Wheeling Mayor Denny Magruder. “This program will make sure that we never forget.â€
Wheeling City Manager Robert Herron noted that through the many military banners posted all over town, the faces and the names reflect on sacrifices they all made for the country and the pride they have brought to the city.
“I remember when Capt. VanCamp was killed in the line of duty,†Wheeling City Manager Robert Herron said, noting that the bridge over Wheeling Creek by Bridge Street Middle School in Elm Grove was previously dedicated in his memory. “He truly was a hero for this community, and it's my pleasure and honor to be here today to participate in a small way in honoring him with the banner program.â€
The Wheeling Military Banner Program's John Larch welcomed family members and distinguished guests to Thursday's ceremony, including 102-year-old World War II veteran of the U.S. Navy Lt. Joseph Gompers.
Larch noted that around 430,000 U.S. service members are laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery, and VanCamp is among them – resting alongside other soldiers, America's finest, whose heroic stories date back to the Civil War.
“His courage, sacrifice and commitment to duty will forever remain a part of Wheeling's history and our nation's legacy,†Larch said.
“While years may pass, the debt we owe our fallen heroes never diminishes,†said Tom Abell, commander of American Legion Post 1 in Wheeling. “Their courage secured freedoms that many of us enjoy today. Our responsibility is to remember their service, honor their sacrifice and ensure that future generations know their story.â€
Chuck Ryan, Quartermaster of VFW Post 4442, noted that freedom comes at a cost, stressing that every American stands on the shoulders of those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
“Today, we're reminded that a soldier dies twice — once whenever he takes his last breath, and he dies again whenever he's forgotten. We must never forget,†Ryan said.
VanCamp was survived by his wife, Chelsea, parents Donald and Linda VanCamp, mother-in-law Suanne Graham, brothers Donand and Dennis VanCamp, and several aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins, along with many friends.
Family members on hand during Thursday's ceremony included aunts, uncles and cousins of VanCamp, along with his mother-in-law, who spoke about his life and legacy.
“From the time David was a little boy, he wanted either to be a soldier, a firefighter or a cowboy,†Graham said. “But he wanted to see the world, so he chose to be a soldier.â€
VanCamp loved baseball and pitched for the Wheeling Park Patriots, Graham noted. He attended the Marion Military Institute in Alabama and later graduated from Marshall University with an associate of arts degree in history and a bachelor of arts degree in criminal justice.
He was deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom during his first tour of duty in 2005, and just weeks before he was scheduled to return stateside, he was severely injured in suicide bombing attack. He spent the next two months recovering in Walter Reed Military Medical Center in Maryland. He subsequently returned to active duty.
Graham said that while he was in the states, he and Chelsea moved three times over the next five years. He was promoted to captain and later took command of his own unit and earned the coveted Stetson and spurs of a cavalry regiment officer.
VanCamp was deployed again in late 2010 to Iraq in support of Operation New Dawn. He and two of his fellow soldiers died from injuries sustained during an indirect fire attack by insurgent enemy forces on June 29, 2011 in Badrah, Iraq.
He received numerous decorations, earning the Bronze Star and Purple heart from his first tour of duty and earning several other medals and recognitions since then. Graham said her daughter later told her that he was where he wanted to be and doing what he wanted to do when he gave his life for his country.
Dave Shoenien, president of the Moundsville Honor Guard, noted that somewhere across the nation are members of his unit that he served with who will have direct memories of his service and his sacrifice.
At the time of his death, VanCamp was serving in the U.S. Army's 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment.
The Moundsville Honor Guard closed out Thursday's banner dedication ceremony with a gun salute and playing of “Taps.â€
In addition to the bridge in Elm Grove, a baseball field at the Patterson Sports Complex was renamed in VanCamps honor, and a memorial scholarship was established in his name, as well.
Family members said the Patriots baseball team has done a tremendous job in keeping the memory of VanCamp alive over the past 15 years.
“Every year, the Wheeling Park Baseball team has a banquet and honors David,†said VanCamp's cousin Hope Romshak, cousin, who issued an emotional word of thanks to the team and the coaching staff that has changed over the years but has remained dedicated to the tradition.
They place flags at a monument at the high school, and the coach invites members of the VanCamp family every year to the banquet to take part. “It just really means a lot that they're carrying that on to the kids of the baseball team and of the school. They're among the biggest supporters right now of keeping his memory going.â€
The Wheeling Military Banner program is open to all men and women who served in the U.S. military – past or present, veteran or active duty, war time or peace time, deceased or living. For information or for an application, visit www.troopbanners.com/wheeling.
