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By Mike Gervais
Register Staff
2-26-2009 In an emotional presentation Tuesday, the Inyo County Board of Supervisors honored Army Cpl. Wayne Geiger, a Lone Pine native who was killed in action in Iraq in October of 2007.
As Board Chair and Third District Supervisor Beverly Brown read a resolution in honor of Geiger, emotions ran high among the other board members and the fallen hero’s friends and family, who were in attendance to receive the resolution on his behalf.
Though tears were hard to hold back for everyone in the room, not just those who knew Geiger personally, all were overwhelmed with a sense of pride and respect for the 23-year-old and his family, who stand as an affirmation of America’s dedication to freedom.
Geiger’s self-sacrifice in the name of his nation continues to remind us all of the brave men and women who continue to fight in the name of freedom, and the mere mention of the soldier’s name continues to arouse pride in all those who called him a friend and neighbor.
According to a resolution read by Board Chair and Third District Supervisor Beverly Brown, Geiger, a Bronze Star and Purple Heart recipient, “was an integral member of the HHC, Third Squadron, Second Stryker Calvary Regiment that was deployed in Baghdad in 2007, where his regiment conducted numerous missions throughout Southern Bagdad, which was known to be a safe haven for terrorists and insurgents.” The resolution continues, “Corporal Geiger’s platoon and company, through hard fought missions, retook the area from the terrorists, making it a safe place for people to live without fear, thus not only making the southern part of Baghdad a safer place, but by stopping the terrorists they also protected the United States.”
Geiger was serving as an air guard in his Stryker, a location in the vehicle that is reserved for senior members of a unit, who is responsible for keeping everyone else in the vehicle safe.
“Being assigned to such a position in combat at such a young age demonstrates the incredible accomplishments Corporal Geiger achieved while proudly serving his country in combat,” Brown said.
That night, Geiger was traveling with his Company on a frequently used road in a three-Stryker convoy, driving in “blackout” conditions to avoid detection, when the convoy was hit by a series of explosive projectiles.
 Corporal Wayne M. Geiger
Geiger received fatal wounds in the attack.
“His commitment contributed to our nation’s continual war on terror and his actions represented his dedication to the security of the United States of America,” Brown read from the resolution. “His sincere desire to bring peace and stability to a foreign nation is an example of what all American soldiers strive to achieve. No greater honor can be demonstrated by his ultimate sacrifice and he will be forever remembered for his actions. Corporal Geiger’s duty, performance and selfless service are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon him.”
The resolution concluded, “Corporal Wayne M. Geiger, who grew up in Lone Pine, Calif., served his country with distinction, was a shining example of the American spirit, and will forever be a treasured son of Inyo County.
“Now, therefore, be it resolved, by the Inyo County Board of Supervisors, that Inyo County’s name be added to those honoring Corporal Wayne M. Geiger, the beloved son of Kim and Randy Geiger, who made the ultimate sacrifice to keep our nation free.”
Inyo County’s efforts to honor the late Cpl. Geiger – at the request of Fifth District Supervisor Richard Cervantes – follow honors made by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who publicly recognized Geiger’s sacrifice, and the U.S. Army, which awarded Geiger the Purple Heart and Bronze Star, and posthumously promoted Geiger to the rank of corporal.
Upon conclusion of the reading, Geiger’s family received a framed copy of the resolution on his behalf. With a sense of pride and sorrow, Randy and Kim Geiger thanked the board for its continued support and its efforts to ensure that Cpl. Geiger’s legacy will live on in Inyo County.
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