By Dan Spalding
News Now Warsaw
WARSAW — Former Warsaw Tiger Coach Dave Baumgartner remembered that night in March of 2003 when he learned of David Fribley’s death.
He remembered the overwhelming sadness of his funeral and when people stood along the funeral route with flags and signs.
And everyone recalled the 26-year-old man’s character.
On Saturday, 20 years after Fribley Field was named after Marine Lance Corporal David Fribley — and 21 years after the 1996 graduate of Warsaw Community High School became the first Hoosier to die in the Iraq War — the community came out to remember his service to the nation and the lasting imprint he’s had on a pristine field set aside for youth football.
Fribley grew up in Atwood and excelled in football and track. At Indiana State, he competed in the shot put.
He had moved to Florida but enlisted after the 9/11 terror attacks. He once wrote, “The greatest gift one can give another is the gift of service,” according to information from the Associated Press.
On March 23, 2003, Fribley, along with a handful of other Marines, died in an ambush in Iraq.
Baumgartner replayed the moments of that night he learned of Fribley’s death after two players had reached out to him with concerns.
“So I called my good friend, my coaching friend, and principal Troy Akers, and I said, ‘Troy, what’s going on?’ and he said, ‘Sit down coach, we’ve lost one of our kids in a war,” Baumgartner said.
The next day, as satellite news trucks descended on the high school, Baumgartner was asked to help work with the media and speak for the community about his former player.
“The unifying message from everybody was that this was an All-American kid. This was a kid that understood what hard work and dedication was all about,” Baumgartner said.
Congressman Rudy Yakym, of the 2nd District, attended the ceremony and addressed the crowd.
“David believed that America was special enough and was worth risking his own life for the freedoms we hold dear today and that generations of Americans will enjoy for decades to come,” Yakym said.
He reminded everyone that the pain felt by the impact of war is one that ripples across the country.
“There are many small towns just like Warsaw who still today hold a memory of a soldier or a Marine like David close to their heart,” Yakym said.
Fribley’s father, Gary, attended Saturday’s ceremony but his mother, Linda, was unable to attend because of family issues.
Gary Fribley sat in the VIP tent and was presented with a bouquet at the start of the ceremony and listened with pride as Yakym and Baumgartner and others discussed his son’s character and willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice.
Afterward, Gary Fribley said he felt honored.
“Words can’t say how I feel — it’s so beautiful,” he said.
“His legacy is unreal,” he added.
The impetus for the the Young Tigers Football League and the field came from Alan Ross, Mark Stampfer and Dave McCool who turned to Carl Sauer to oversee fundraising.
Eventually, with about $200,000 in community support (coinciding with approval from Warsaw Parks Department), the field on East Market Street grew to become a magnet for young football players, cheerleaders and their families and is seen as one of the nicest such parks in the region.
Shortly after it was established, as a small group in Warsaw continued to lay the foundation for a new field, they learned of Fribley’s death.
“We knew exactly who we wanted to name the field after,” McCool said.
Yakym and others talked about the field and how it is intertwined with the memory of a hometown hero.
“I know it’s a legacy you will continue to honor and build on for years to come,” Yakym said.
Andy Owens, who has been associated with Young Tigers Football for 14 years, now serves as board president and was among those honored Saturday.
Himself a Marine, Owens said the entire ceremony proved to be personal.
“Very touching,” Owens said. “It brought tears to my eyes just because it reminded me of buddies that I have lost.”
Below is a short, fun slow-motion clip from the opening events before the more somber ceremony.
