Native News
Grave Marker for Unknown 7th Cavalry Soldier Returned to Little Bighorn Battlefield
A grave marker associated with an unknown U.S. Army 7th Cavalry Soldier was formally returned to Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument Tuesday during a ceremony attended by representatives of the National Park Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Army and community partners.
The marker is believed to have been stolen from the national monument more than 40 years ago. Its return restores a tangible piece of the battlefield’s history and allows the marker to once again be cared for at the site where the Soldier it represents is remembered.
“This is a meaningful moment for Little Bighorn Battlefield,” said Superintendent James Novitsky. “After more than 40 years, this marker has returned to the place where it belongs. We are grateful to the investigators, partners and members of the community whose efforts made that possible, and we are honored to once again care for this piece of the battlefield’s history.”
Information about the missing marker was provided to the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch and referred to the FBI. The FBI subsequently recovered the marker with assistance from partners, including the American Legion.
The recovery illustrates how investigations involving historic and cultural resources can continue for decades after an item disappears.
“This case highlights an important part of the Investigative Services Branch mission that the public may not often see,” said ISB Chief Deb Flowers. “Our special agents investigate crimes involving the cultural and natural resources entrusted to the National Park Service, and those investigations can continue long after an object is taken. The return of this marker shows what persistent investigative work, strong partnerships and information from the public can accomplish.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Justin Gerken of the FBI Billings Field Office said the recovery represented more than the resolution of a decades-old theft.
“Recovering this marker is about much more than closing the chapter in a decades-old theft,” Gerken said. “This battlefield is hallowed ground for all who fought here and returning this stone restores a tangible piece of our nation’s shared history and honors the dignity of the unknown Soldier it represents. The FBI is proud to work alongside our partners to recover and return items of cultural and historical significance to their rightful place.”
The Sept. 29 ceremony included representatives from Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, the NPS Investigative Services Branch, the FBI and the U.S. Army’s 7th Cavalry Regiment and 1st Cavalry Division.
Army personnel provided ceremonial support honoring the unknown Soldier associated with the marker, including an honor guard and military honors.
“For 40 years, this marker was separated from the hallowed ground and trooper it was meant to honor,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Justin Mansfield, Command Sergeant Major of 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. “Today, the 7th Cavalry is proud to help bring it home and restore it to its rightful place among his brethren. This ceremony reflects the Army’s enduring promise to never leave a fallen comrade. Time may pass, but a Soldier’s sacrifice—and our obligation to honor it—is never forgotten.”
The return also underscores the role the public can play in helping investigators recover stolen cultural and historic resources. Information can remain valuable even decades after an object disappears.
Anyone with information about stolen or missing resources from a National Park Service site, or information that could assist an investigation, may contact the NPS Investigative Services Branch at 888-653-0009, email nps_isb@nps.gov or submit information through the NPS online tip form. Tipsters may remain anonymous.
Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument preserves the landscape where the Battle of the Little Bighorn took place June 25 and 26, 1876. The National Park Service protects the battlefield’s cultural and historic resources and preserves the site as a place of remembrance and reflection for the people and communities connected to its history.
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