CROW AGENCY, Mont. – Soldiers from 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, based at Fort Hood, Texas, participated in a Sept. 29 ceremony at Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument marking the return of a grave marker for an unknown 7th Cavalry soldier.
The ceremony brought together representatives from the U.S. Army, National Park Service, FBI and community partners to recognize the marker’s return to the battlefield more than 40 years after it was believed to have been stolen.
In July 2025, an FBI Art Crime Team member assigned to the Billings Field Office received information from the National Park Service’s Investigative Services Branch about the possible discovery of the marker. The FBI’s subsequent investigation helped confirm the marker’s identity and supported its return to the National Park Service.
“Recovering this marker is about much more than closing the chapter in a decades-old theft,” said Special Agent in Charge Justin Gerken of the FBI Billings Field Office. “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 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, color guard opened the ceremony by presenting the colors and rendering military honors. The unit’s participation reflected the 7th Cavalry Regiment’s enduring connection to the soldiers memorialized at the battlefield.
“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 ceremony underscored the Army’s commitment to honoring soldiers who served before them and preserving the history of those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
“This is a meaningful moment for Little Bighorn Battlefield,” said Superintendent of Little Bighorn National Monument 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.”
The ceremony follows 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment’s visit to Crow Agency earlier this year to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Battle of the Little Bighorn.
