“Travis was one of our own; a Cheektowaga native, a Maryvale High School graduate, who obligingly answered the call of duty for our country. Private Krege served with courage and distinction, and it is no surprise that he volunteered to enlist after graduation because service is deeply rooted in his family.”
Those words came Tuesday from State Assemblyman Patrick Chludzinski, who led a ceremony held in the parking lot of Infant of Prague Church in Cheektowaga, located just off Thruway Exit 50A. The bridge spanning over that section of the I-90 is now formally dedicated to the memory of Private First Class Travis Krege.
After graduating from Maryvale High School in 2000, Krege enlisted and assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Bridge Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division. He was killed Dec. 6, 2006, along with four other soldiers, when their military vehicle was destroyed by an improvised explosive device in a town just outside Kirkuk, Iraq.
“As an Iraq War veteran myself, Travis's service and this ceremony hits home for me on a deep level,” Chludzinski continued. “I came home from deployment and returned to duties at the Cheektowaga Police Department shortly after Travis made the ultimate sacrifice in 2006. I vividly remember being on patrol and driving past Amigone Funeral Home on Transit during Travis's wake, watching the overwhelming sea of cars, family members, and grieving friends outside. I remember feeling a profound sense of sadness and trying to imagine the tremendous weight his family was feeling and would be carrying going forward.”
Nearly 20 years later, Sandy Griffin Krege, Travis’s mother, joined his father Michael, several other family members, and at least 150 people including family friends, first responders, and members of the public to lift the cover off a sign bearing the fallen soldier’s name. A copy of that sign was already fixed in place along the Cleveland Drive Bridge as the ceremony was taking place.
“The 20 years have gone by so quickly. It's just so hard for us to believe that we've been without him that long. But the reason that we've been able to put one foot in front of the other and keep going is because of all of the love and support that we've received from all of you, so I can't tell you how much I appreciate all of you here,” Griffin Krege said, acknowledging there were Gold Star and Blue Star Mothers in the audience.
The blue star represents a mother whose child has served in the military. The gold star represents a mother whose child has died in the line of duty.
Joining Chludzinski for the ceremony from the State Legislature was State Senator April Baskin, who has several veterans among her family.
“Some have known him personally. Others will know his name for the first time, when they drive past this bridge. But all of us, after today, will be reminded of the freedoms that we enjoy as Americans, that have been defended by people like Travis, who were willing to give everything to serve our country,” Baskin said. “This bridge that we will lift up today will ensure that Travis's name, his courage, and his sacrifice will never be forgotten by the community that raised him, and may we never ever forget his service.”
Both legislators’ districts include this Cheektowaga neighborhood, and both presented Krege’s family with copies of the legislation authorizing the bridge dedication, along with pens used by Governor Kathy Hochul to sign each copy.
New York State Thruway Authority Executive Director Frank Hoare was also present and spoke highly of Krege, admitting that while he didn’t now him personally, he was privileged to previously wear the same uniform as Krege did.
“Travis was a member of the 25th Infantry Division, known as Tropic Lightning. It is a storied division, one of great honor, and Travis has added to that legacy of honor that will be talked upon for generations and generations to come,” Hoare said. “I represent the Thruway Authority here, and I can tell you that making these signs, doing this production, was a labor of love for the members of the Thruway, many of whom are veterans and have served.”
