Honoring our legacy, remembering those that came before us, their great deeds, and their tremendous sacrifice takes effort. The construction of memorials, the conduct of ceremonies and the attendance of memorial events all ensure that we remain aware of our history and heroes, and honor them in everything we do. SFA Chapter 7 memorialization facilitates the connection between current 7th SFG(A) Soldiers, former members, families, and our fallen thus maintaining the culture and legacy of the family business.
Current and Upcoming Memorial Efforts
Sergeant Timothy Padgett Park
SFA Chapter VII is partnering with Walton County and the 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (A) to sponsor Padgett Park.
Tim Padgett was a Special Forces Medical Sergeant assigned to the 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (A) and was killed in action in Afghanistan on 8 May 2007 by enemy small arms fire. Tim was from Defuniak Springs, FL and his family continues to reside in the area to include his daughter, Summer who was 8 years old at the time of his death. Tim was an amazing Soldier, Father, Son and community member who will forever be missed and never forgotten.
This event will bring community, the unit, and the chapter members together in a volunteer clean up day and a ceremony. It will also provide the public greater insight into who Tim Padgett was and how he made the ultimate sacrifice.
The SFA CH VII Memorial Fund will support this effort through the procurement of supplies to support the cleanup effort and the memorial cemetery, and will continue to contribute to the unit and chapter efforts to facilitate maintenance of the park over time.
Helicopter Static Display
UH-1/P Static display represents the joint history of Special Forces, Air Force Special Operations, and Eglin Air Force Base. This airframe is currently at Davis Monthan AFB and set aside to be transferred to the hand receipt of the Air Armaments Museum. The Museum foundation has agreed to allow this airframe to be put on display at Camp Bull Simons.
Having service on Eglin AFB, combat service with special operations in Vietnam, this airframe is a symbol of the joint special operations unity of the past, present, and future. Already sited by the Eglin AFB facilities board to be located just inside the front gate of Camp Bull Simons, the SFA CH VII Memorial Fund is working to cover the cost of transportation from Davis Montana to Eglin AFB. Once on site, the 7th Group and Eglin AFB will construct the pedestal and surrounding walkways & parking. SFA CH VII will continue to facilitate the continued knowledge of Army Special Forces history and the history on Eglin AFB.
Completed Memorials
7th Special Forces Group Memorial Wall
With the generous donations of our community partners such as the Jay Odom Group, Randy Wise Homes, and many others, the SFA CH VII constructed the memorial wall situated at the center of the memorial plaza in front of the 7th Special Forces Group (A) Headquarters, Donlon Hall. The memorial was built in 2016 and carries the names of all Soldiers who died while on active duty and assigned to the 7th Special Forces Group (A).
On the right side are the names of Soldiers killed in Combat, from Vietnam & Cambodia, to El Salvador, to Iraq and Afghanistan. On the left side are the names of those killed while in training, on operations, or while serving honorably within the unit. Noticeably there have been Soldiers lost in 13 Countries throughout central and South America.
Every year during Red Empire Week the Group honors those it lost over the previous year in a memorial ceremony during which it places the names of those Soldiers who will forever remain on the permanent roles of the unit.
They are gone but will never be forgotten.
Multi-Purpose Canine Memorial
With the generous donations of our community partners, the SFA CH VII constructed the 7th Special Forces Group Multi-Purpose Canine Memorial. Specifically built to honor Shadow and Apollo who were Killed in Action in Afghanistan, the memorial is situated along the memorial walk that meanders through a pine tree grove on a small knoll adjacent to the memorial plaza in front of the 7th Special Forces Group (A) Headquarters, Donlon Hall.
The memorial was built in 2019 and represents all of the units brave canine warriors that have served and continue to serve in the 7th Special Forces Group (A).
The breed of dog memorialized is the fierce and smart Belgian Malinois, one of the most common breeds serving in the Canine Detachment. The noble and loyal warrior sits on the knoll, overlooking and providing overwatch of those Soldiers that are enshrined on the memorial wall.
Ever vigilant, ever loyal, ever serving, these protectors are the unsung heroes of many battles and will always sit in a place of honor in the 7th Special Forces Group (A).
Purple Heart Memorial
With the generous donations of our community partners and the local chapter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, the SFA CH VII constructed the 7th Special Forces Group Purple Heart Memorial. Specifically built to honor those Soldiers wounded in combat, the memorial is situated along the memorial walk that meanders through a pine tree grove on a small knoll adjacent to the memorial plaza in front of the 7th Special Forces Group (A) Headquarters, Donlon Hall.
The memorial was built in 2019 and represents all of the brave and intrepid Soldiers who have been wounded in combat and are recipients the Purple Heart Medal.
The 7th Special Forces Group (A) was heavily deployed during the Vietnam War with combat operations in adjacent Laos and Cambodia. the 7th Special Forces Group's combat service continued in El Salvador, Panama (Just Cause), Afghanistan, and Iraq. Throughout the many combat deployments, campaigns, and operations, the 7th Special Forces Group (A) has been and continues to have one of the highest number of Purple Heart recipients assigned for a unit of its size.