By September 11, 2001 Lt. Col. Karen Wagner had been in uniform for 17 years, however with growing up in a military family and ROTC while at UNLV, she’d really been serving for much longer.
Although she’s just accepted a promotion to Deputy Chief of Staff in the Army of the Army Surgeon General, she was already looking into what she would do with the next chapter of her life.
Wagner’s many Army postings included serving as adjutant for the 85th Medical Evacuation Hospital at Fort Lee, Va.; executive officer and company commander of D Company in the 187th Medical Battalion at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio; and chief of personnel for the 57th Evacuation Hospital in Wuerzburg, Germany. She also headed the personnel services branch at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington.
According to her sister, Kim she spoke often of teaching overseas. But quietly, the two of them used to dream about hosting a television cooking show together.
“Her shtick was baking; mine was cooking,” said Kim. “Our hope was that we could retire at the same time. If we decided to teach school, we were going to get our experience in Texas and try to go abroad.”
Athletics had long been part of her life. She liked to relieve stress by taking long run sand while at UNLV she played guard on the university’s women’s basketball team.
She made strong connections with people, especially children, her sister, Kim, recalled.
“She never met a stranger,” her sister said. “She was the kind of person who, when you met her, she would never forget you. She would talk to you like she’d known you forever.”
Karen J. Wagner High School in San Antonio Texas, was named in her honor…
Go Thunderbirds!!!
Information for this post pulled from:
The Washington Post
Wagner High School
by Peter | September 11, 2009 @ 10:16 am
Thanks for all the work you have put into project 2996 Dale.
by Cathy | September 11, 2009 @ 10:25 am
Dale, Thank you for remembering Lt. Col. Wagner.
and thank you so much for coordinating this huge endeavor.
by Kim | September 11, 2009 @ 12:53 pm
Thanks for remembering Dale and for all you do to keep Project 2996 in peoples minds.
Kim #635 & Dennis Devlin also
http://www.ifitwasntthis.blogspot.com
by Jenn | September 11, 2009 @ 1:43 pm
What a loss we suffered that day losing a woman as wonderful at Lt. Col. Wagner. Thank you for the 2,996 Project.
by Amy | September 11, 2009 @ 2:38 pm
Stopping by as a fellow 2996 blogger!
by Esther | September 11, 2009 @ 2:47 pm
What a wonderful tribute Dale. Mahalo for Project 2996.
by Stix | September 11, 2009 @ 4:40 pm
Thanks again for being the coordinator fir this endeavor. We must never forget.
by Francesco | September 11, 2009 @ 5:39 pm
Beautiful tribute! Thanks for Project 2996 Dale!
by Francesco | September 11, 2009 @ 5:43 pm
Great tribute Dale!
Thanks for Project 2996.
by Leticia | September 11, 2009 @ 6:10 pm
What a beautiful tribute.
by Sally | September 11, 2009 @ 6:27 pm
Thank you for all the work; I’m sorry I didn’t get signed up in time, but I did make another tribute today for Stacey L. Peak.
God bless those who sacrificed.
by Myriam (Quiles) Baker | September 11, 2009 @ 10:42 pm
Dale,
You’ve done a wonderful job with this project. I am very proud of you. I couldn’t commit this year to this but am willing to commit to help with this next year. Keep up the good work and thank for helping with the healing process for the families and our nation.
God bless you.
Myriam
by Lorraine | September 12, 2009 @ 1:35 am
I’m so glad you took on this project. It’s the end of a very long day (or perhaps the beginning of the next day?!) and I’m just starting to go through the posts now . . . I’ve read about three of them. only a thousand or so to go?!
thanks again. it gives me hope that people do still remember . . .
by Flag Gazer | September 12, 2009 @ 7:21 pm
Great post – such amazing people – !
We all have a story.
Wonderful job again this year – thank you!
by Dr. Dave | September 12, 2009 @ 10:07 pm
Thank you Dale, both for this excellent post and for pulling this project together.
by Dr. Dave | September 12, 2009 @ 10:40 pm
BTW…I’m going through the list of those who “said” they’d do tributes and am amazed at how many of them didn’t. How’s that for integrity?
by Jason Coggins | September 13, 2009 @ 12:11 am
My respect to you Dale and your work in honouring Lt.Col. Wagner.