Brigadier General Armfield speaks at Price of Freedom supper

HALEYVILLE - It has been nine years since Haleyville native Senior Airman Mark Forester gave his life in the line of duty, trying to save a fallen comrade in Afghanistan.
A spaghetti supper, held at the Haleyville Middle School cafeteria, is sponsored by Todd Barton each year on the Friday night before the Mark Forester Price of Freedom event is held on Saturday.
The supper is open to the community, volunteers and participants of the events. The annual event is held each third Saturday in May on the Haleyville High School campus, in recognition of Mark’s birthday on May 16.
Retired Brigadier General Robert Armfield was the guest speaker for the supper this year. He is now the president of the RGA Consulting Group. At the time of Mark’s death, Armfield was serving as Forester’s senior Air Force special tactics commander.
Brigadier General Armfield started out by saying, “Those who knew Mark, knows it is a challenge to lead people like him. People who are running hard everyday in service to their country.
“I want to talk about my experience with Mark. First, I want to thank the Forester family for having me this weekend. It is an absolute honor to come and speak tonight.
“It takes me back because I haven’t been back to this school since September 2010. I haven’t been in Haleyville since September 2010.
“I have talked about Haleyville a lot in the last nine years, as I have travelled around.
“We have done a lot of funerals across the United States in big towns and small towns. My experience in Haleyville in 2010 was unique.
“I tell people about it pretty frequently. There is a movie called Taking Chances that HBO did that is pretty good. It captures the experience of what we do when we have a fallen teammate.
“I  flew in to Haleyville about 3 p.m. I went to the hotel and then got up for a run the next morning. We went to the Foresters’ home to explain the events that happened in Mark’s death on the 29th of September. We went to a local diner in Haleyville. We walked into the restaurant. It was a busy day, with a lot going on.
“Everything just stopped. Everyone looked at us. A lady was on her cell phone and she said, ‘The Air Force people walked in. I have to go.’
“That was different. That type of thing doesn’t happen in most places,” he said referring to the reaction.
“Many people came over and thanked us for our service. One lady came over and asked us if we were paying for our meal. I replied, ‘No ma’am. We didn’t pay for it at all. It was at a barbecue place and was really good. I started to see what Mark Forester meant to this town and what his loss meant.
“We went to the high school for the funeral and it was full. People were having to be turned away because there was no more room.
“We got in the car and drove from the high school to the cemetery. I think the entire town stood on the road with American flags as we drove by. I have never seen that before.
“Since then, I always tell people that you have to go to Haleyville. That is what America looks like. This is a great place. Please don’t take it for granted.
“As we think about what Mark did, I want to read to the Silver Star citation. The Silver Star citation is a pretty big deal. It is not awarded without a whole lot of evidence and serious consideration.
“There is a couple of things that come to mind when I read that citation. It is from the gospel of John 15:13, citing that the greatest love a person can show is to give his life for others. That is exactly what Mark did, gave his life.
“In the book of Matthew in chapter 25:14-30, the parable about the talents and how the servants put them to use. I think Mark had the five bags of gold. When he met his Maker, he gave Him his five bags and five more because of how he served his family and country. Are we living our lives the way Mark did his?
He did a lot with his time on earth. The Mark Forester Foundation is a great thing to raise up another generation of people that give back to their community and country.
“Mark Forester is a man who made history. “