Falcon now has another reminder of the cost of freedom. On Thursday, June 4, a sign was unveiled naming a section of U.S. Highway 24 at the intersection of Elbert Road in memory of SGM James Gregory Ryan Sartor. With flags and speeches, the assembled crowd honored the memory of the Green Beret. Sartor, who served 19 years in the U.S. Army, was killed in action in Afghanistan on July 13, 2019, three weeks short of the date he was to return from deployment. He was 40 years of age. Brandon Cabalar, commander of American Legion Post 2008, said the sign was erected through community contributions. Deana Sartor thanked everyone in the Falcon community. ìThis highway has a lot of significance for us,î she said. She noted that when the family first came to Colorado, they traveled on this highway. It was on this highway that Sartor was pulled over for speeding, and on this highway he took his last motorcycle ride. Deanna said her husband traveled this highway every day on his way to work. ìLive your life so Ryan will not have died in vain,î she said. ìRemember his sacrifice every time you drive past.îIn another ceremony, a brick bearing the name of SGM Sartor was unveiled at Dane R. Balcon Memorial Park in Woodmen Hills, and yellow roses were presented to the Sartor family. ìWe are family, we are not just veterans,î Cabalar told the crowd.î Let’s not forget what SGM Sartor stood for.”(Continued)
