Victory Week at Fort Riley celebrates the history and legacy of the 1st Infantry Division. The Week's activities began Tuesday morning with a run on Custer Hill involving Big Red One troops and a parade on Normandy Drive recognizing essential workers for their service during the coronavirus pandemic.
During opening comments Maj. Gen. D.A. Sims stated it was a great day to be a Soldier, "and that much more to be a member of the Big Red One. Duty first. People always. All else follows.
Congressional Medal of Honor recipients from the 1st Infantry Division were remembered including Junction City native Staff Sgt. Walter Ehlers, who served in World War II and on D-Day. "Led his platoon in attack against an enemy position leading to the destruction of two mortar points and three machine gun nests. Once his platoon had ventured too far into enemy territory and was surrounded he diverted the enemy's fire himself, allowing his unit to retrograde."
Other activities on Victory Week will range from athletic competitions to a wreath laying honoring the 30th anniversary of Desert Storm to a Division review.