An 18-year-old man leaves his southern home and joins the Army to fight for freedom and for his country. Although he doesn’t know how to read or write, his innate intelligence and leadership skills help him rise to the rank of sergeant. 

It’s 1864, and Sgt. George Wilker of the 17th U.S. Colored Troops is a runaway slave and is literally fighting for his freedom in the Union Army.

Though more than 150 years later, today’s Soldiers know it’s never too late to honor one of their own, so on Aug. 5, the Colorado Army National Guard Honor Guard provided military funeral honors for Wilker at Fort Logan National Cemetery in Denver.

“Today we completed a cycle of history in that we provided military honors to a Civil War noncommissioned officer who, at the time, was a slave – a runaway slave, who somehow heard that the Union forces were organizing a regiment of colored troops – African-American troops, to fight on the side of the Union against the Confederacy,” said Colorado National Guard State Chaplain Col. Andy Meverden. “He did so with the hope and the promise that he would get his freedom, and then his citizenship, and forty acres and a mule. And he actually got eighty acres.”

The road to these belated honors began when Shirley Rogers, Wilker’s great-granddaughter, began researching her family’s history.

Rogers said she really liked doing all the work. “What made it so clear and so interesting was my ancestors had the same names as my living relatives and me – it relates to me, so I really enjoyed doing it,” she said.

She did so much research, she now has eight large boxes of documents regarding her family.

Ten years ago, when she discovered her great-grandfather was in the military, she became very interested since she is a veteran herself. In fact, she claims she was the first black photographer in the U.S. Navy.

As a veteran, Rogers is connected with the Department of Veterans Affairs. She decided she wanted to have burial rights extended to Wilker, who was buried somewhere on the plains of Kansas – without military honors. So she contacted the VA to have everything arranged. From there, the COARNG Honor Guard was contacted.

“The Department of Defense established a military funeral and honors program that was assigned to the 54 states and territory commonwealths of the Army National Guard to provide military burial honors to the overwhelming number of Army veterans who were exiting this life and entering the next,” said Meverden. “Probably 98 percent of all non active duty senior officer retiree-type funerals are conducted, Army-wise, by the Army National Guard of each state and territory commonwealth.”

The COARNG Honor Guard was more than happy to oblige.

“Just like we would do for a World War II or any veteran of the current conflict, he was one of those that did not receive his military honors,” said Meverden. “My father died in 1970. We received a flag and that was it. Part of my mission is to ensure that our military veterans receive military honors that they have earned through their faithful and honorable service to our country.”

“I think it was very special just from the historical sense of what that 18-year-old runaway slave did,” said Meverden, “the faith, the courage, and obviously the skill and competence he demonstrated.”

The ceremony ended with the flag being presented to Rogers by Warrant Officer 1 Demetrius Selby, a black Soldier on the Honor Guard team. The act was originally supposed to be done by Meverden. “I seconded that honor to him, being that he was African-American,” said Meverden. “I can tell that he was deeply touched by the honor of doing that, and I was happy to give that away and share that honor with him, as he, an African-American descendent, was able to present that flag and present that final salute.”

“I thought the ceremony was beautiful,” said Rogers. “I will never forget this. I will tell my grandbaby about this.”