BY LTC. TODD KONTNY
U.S. Army Reserve

Editor’s note: LTC. Todd Kontny was the guest speaker at the Los Alamos Memorial Day Celebration Monday at Guaje Pines Cemetery.

It’s a privilege to be here with you today in Los Alamos — a place where history and sacrifice are not just written in books but etched into the land, into the mission, and into the very legacy of our nation.

To the members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, to our honored guests, and to the families of the fallen — thank you for being here. On this Memorial Day, we gather not just as individuals, but as a community united by shared values, shared memories, and by the deep debt we owe to those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to the United States of America. We are surrounded by reminders of duty and sacrifice. And there’s no better place to reflect on that legacy than here in Los Alamos — a town that played a critical role in shaping the outcome of the most devastating war the world has ever known.

Memorial Day began in the wake of the Civil War — our country’s bloodiest conflict. Over 600,000 Americans perished in that war — more than in both World Wars combined. Originally known as Decoration Day, it began as a time when people would visit cemeteries and decorate the graves of fallen Union soldiers with flowers, flags, and prayers.

The first widespread observance was in 1868, initiated by the Grand Army of the Republic, a group of Union veterans. On that day, May 30, flowers were placed on the graves of soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. It was a national moment of unity and mourning, born from deep loss.

After World War I, the observance expanded to honor all who had died in military service — not just those from the Civil War. And in 1971, Memorial Day was designated a federal holiday, observed on the last Monday of May. But while the calendar marks it once a year, we as veterans and family members of the fallen know: Memorial Day is not just a holiday. It’s a weight we carry every day. It’s names, faces, final goodbyes, folded flags, and silent moments.

Los Alamos and the Turning Point of World War II
As we stand here in Los Alamos, we stand at one of the most consequential locations in modern history. In the early 1940s, this once-remote mesa became the heart of a top- secret mission: the Manhattan Project. It brought together brilliant minds, dedicated engineers, military leaders, and skilled workers from across the country — many of whom were veterans or active-duty personnel — all united in a desperate effort to end a war that had already taken tens of millions of lives. Here, in modest labs and bunkered test sites, the world’s first atomic bombs were built. It was a monumental achievement, but it came with deep moral and human consequences.

On August 6 and August 9, 1945, bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In the days that followed, Japan surrendered. World War II — which had claimed more than 400,000 American lives and over 60 million worldwide — finally came to an end.

The work done in Los Alamos shortened the war. It likely saved the lives of hundreds of thousands of American service members who would otherwise have been part of a full-scale invasion of Japan. But the price of peace was profound, and the weight of that decision was felt by those who built the bombs and by every soldier who witnessed the war’s end. This place reminds us that war is not just about weapons and battles — it’s about consequences, choices, and the unimaginable cost of conflict. And it reminds us of the terrible burden accepted by those who fight, and by those who never returned home.

The Toll of Service
Since our nation’s founding, more than 1.3 million American service members have given their lives in war. These were not just soldiers and sailors — they were parents, children, spouses, neighbors, and friends.

Every single loss is a family forever changed, a future never lived, a story cut short. They fell at Valley Forge, at Gettysburg, in the trenches of France, on the beaches of Normandy, on the mountains of Korea, in the jungles of Vietnam, and in the deserts of Iraq and Afghanistan. And while the wars and weapons have changed, the courage it takes to step forward — to volunteer, to serve, and to face death — has never wavered.

To those of us who served, those who died are not strangers. They were in our units. They were in our formation. They shared our jokes, our struggles, and sometimes our last conversations.

Their memories live not only in tributes but in the quiet moments — in the way we carry ourselves, in how we serve others, in how we live our lives.

What Would the Fallen Ask of Us?
If those we honor today could speak to us, I don’t believe they would ask for more statues or ceremonies — though these moments of remembrance matter deeply. I believe they would ask us to carry on — to make their sacrifice matter, not just in words, but in how we live.

Over the course of marching in 16 Bataan Memorial Death Marches and 32 years of Service, I’ve had a lot of time to reflect — on the pain, the perseverance, and the profound courage of those who came before us. That march honors the more than 75,000 American and Filipino soldiers who were forced to walk 65 miles through brutal heat and abuse after the fall of Bataan in 1942. Thousands died along the way — from wounds, starvation, dehydration, and cruelty. As I’ve walked mile after mile through the New Mexico desert, I’ve asked myself: What would they ask of us now?

Let me offer three things I believe they would want:

1. Remember them.
   Not just today — but every day you breathe free air. Say their names. Learn their stories. Visit their graves. Share their legacy with your children and grandchildren. As long as we remember them, they are never truly gone. And remembrance isn’t passive — it’s active. It means carrying their spirit into our communities, into our conversations, into our national principles.
2. Take care of one another.
   The mission doesn’t end when we return home. The brotherhood and sisterhood of service must continue. That means looking out for our fellow veterans, advocating for mental health resources, ensuring no one fights their post service battles alone. It also means supporting Gold Star families — not just with words, but with presence, respect, and commitment. In the VFW, we don’t just honor the dead — we protect the living. That’s the legacy of service we must uphold.
3. Live with purpose.
   The men and women we remember today died defending ideals — liberty, justice, democracy. We must honor them by defending those same ideals in our own lives. Be active citizens. Vote. Volunteer. Stand up for what’s right. Help your neighbors. Speak with courage. Build a better America — not a perfect one, but a just one, a strong one, a united one. Freedom is not just defended on battlefields — it’s sustained in classrooms, in town halls, in living rooms, and in everyday acts of decency and integrity.

I know of at least one person here today who embodies all of these values and has been a guiding light in my life is my father, Retired Colonel Kontny. He has dedicated his life to serving this country and continues to give back by supporting countless veterans in more ways than I can count. He is my hero—not just for his service in uniform, but for the integrity, compassion, and leadership he shows every day. And none of it would have been possible without the unwavering support of my mother, Grace, who has stood by our family with strength and love.

In closing, today, in Los Alamos — a place that helped bring peace to a world at war — we do not just remember the past. We recommit to a future worthy of their sacrifice. To the Gold Star families here today: We see you. We honor you. We will never forget your loved ones.

To my fellow veterans: Thank you for continuing to serve — in your posts, in your communities, and in your example. Like my friend Corrina Gonzales

Let us go forward from this place not just in mourning, but in mission.

Let us live in a way that honors the dead, supports the living, and strengthens the freedoms we hold dear.

May God bless our fallen heroes.

May He comfort their families.

And may He continue to bless the United States of America. Thank you

About LTC Kontny

Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Todd Kontny was born on 10 April 1973 in Vicenza, Italy, while his father was stationed at Aviano Air Base. He spent his formative years attending grade school in New Mexico and England, and graduated from high school in Ankara, Turkey. His extensive travel and exposure to various cultures contributed to a broad and diverse upbringing.

In 1991, LTC Kontny enrolled at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology in Socorro, NM, and enlisted in the New Mexico Army National Guard. He later earned an Associate of Science degree from Central New Mexico College and a Bachelor of Arts in Management from Wayland Baptist University. He commissioned as a Second Lieutenant through Officer Candidate School (OCS) in 2001.

Following the events of September 11, 2001, LTC Kontny volunteered for active duty and served for two years at Cannon Air Force Base, Clovis, NM, assigned to the Security Forces Squadron. In 2003, then-First Lieutenant Kontny was recognized as the Outstanding Junior Officer of the Quarter at the squadron, group, and wing levels at Cannon AFB, the first Army Officer to receive that award at Cannon Air Force base.

In 2005, he again volunteered for active duty and deployed to Qatar as the Security Forces Commander for U.S. Central Command Headquarters in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. In 2011, he deployed to Kosovo as part of the NATO peacekeeping mission.

LTC Kontny has held numerous key leadership and staff assignments throughout his career. He served as the Commander of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 111th Sustainment Brigade in Rio Rancho, NM, for three years. He subsequently served as the Executive Officer of the Recruiting and Retention Battalion and later as the Commander of Joint Forces Headquarters, New Mexico National Guard, from 2012 to 2016. In January 2018, LTC Kontny assumed command of the 515th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion in Roswell, NM, serving until 2020. Concurrently, he was assigned as the G3 State Training Officer for the New
Mexico National Guard.

LTC Kontny currently serves as the Personnel Officer (G1) for the 311th Expeditionary Sustainment Command Division, United States Army Reserve, in Los Angeles, California.
His awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal (3rd Award), Army Commendation Medal (4th Award), Air Force Achievement Medal (2nd Award), Army Achievement Medal (3rd Award), and multiple campaign and service medals in support of overseas contingency operations.

LTC Kontny is the proud father of two children, Bronte and Taylor. LTC Kontny is joined today by his father COL Retired Rod Kontny and mother Grace.