JUNE 6, 2023 – U.S. Army 1st Lt. Trevor Hallock, Staff Sgt. Chase Dixon, and Spc. Joshua Thiermann, have been announced as the winners of the Walters D. Ehlers Cup in Grafenwoehr, Germany, on June 4, 2023.
The Walter D. Ehlers’ Cup, named after a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient 2nd Lt. Walter D. Ehlers, tests officers, noncommissioned officers, and junior enlisted Soldiers on events that encompass general tasks and drills including the Army Combat Fitness Test, administering first aid, conducting a nine line medical evacuation report, responding to a Chemical Biological Radiological, and Nuclear Attack, assemble and disassemble the M4, M17, and M240 weapons systems, creating a range card, conducting a call for fire, map reading, writing an essay, executing an 8-mile road march and an evaluation board.
“I was absolutely thrilled to hear the competition here on Graf was named after my father,” said Catherine Metcalf, the daughter of Walter D. Ehlers. “It is so important that we support the legacy of all our veterans, in this case particularly medal of honor recipients.”
On D-Day, Ehlers managed to get his entire squad of twelve men off the beach without a single casualty, which he cited with great pride in his oral history interview. In the following days, he led his squad inland and through multiple encounters with the enemy. He was eventually awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery in combat.
Ehlers’ actions were inspirational and motivated many of the Soldiers who participated in the competition as they worked hard to pay tribute to the veteran.
“The competition was very steep, I tried to remind myself what Walter Ehlers did on Normandy beach on June 9th and 10th, when he earned his Medal of Honor,” said Hallock, an infantry officer assigned to 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division and the winner of the officer category. “It wasn’t even a fraction of what he went through, so that gave me some extra motivation to keep pushing, and represent him well.”
The three winners of the Victory Corps’ Walter D. Ehlers’ Cup were each awarded a trophy, a V Corps challenge coin, and the opportunity to travel to Normandy for an award ceremony.
“Being able to see Normandy on its actual reunion and anniversary is going to be remarkable,” said Hallock. “If I could just be half the man those warriors and service members were, we would be successful in the Army today.”
The officer and noncommissioned officer category winners are both assigned to the 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, which was the same unit 2nd Lt. Ehlers served with as a staff sergeant and squad leader during the invasion.
“Being in the unit Walter was in feels really good, and makes me a lot more proud of the unit,” said Staff Sgt. Chase Dixon, an infantry Soldier, assigned to 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, and winner of the best noncommissioned officer category. “It was an honor to attempt this competition and bring it home in front of his daughter.”
Spc. Joshua Thiermann, is a mortarman assigned to 1st Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, and took honors as the junior Soldier.
“The Soldiers that are here competing have been truly amazing,” said Metcalf. “I saw all of the values that the Medal of Honor represents embodied in these Soldiers.”
By Sgt. Khalan Moore