Capt. Leonard Schroeder Jr. was the first of about 21,000 4th Infantry Division soldiers to land on Utah Beach in France on June 6, 1944.

He made the trip among nervous men in the dark, who prayed and told jokes, as they awaited the landing on Utah Beach, Maj. Gen. David Doyle said Thursday during a ceremony to remember their sacrifice.

While they landed well south of their intended destination, Theodore Roosevelt Jr., assistant division commander and the second person to set foot on the beach, was undaunted by the error.

“We’ll start the war from here,” Roosevelt said, in those tense moments.

From landing on the beach, they fought for 23 days with no rest, and despite their severe losses, their aggressive action was undeterred, Doyle said. Over the course of the war, the division suffered almost 22,000 battle causalities and of those about 5,000 died.

It was bloodshed that “continues to pay the bill for peace” 81 years later, Doyle said.

The general who leads Fort Carson reminded the soldiers at the small ceremony that they are the continuation of World War II soldiers’ legacy.

As part of the ceremony, five soldiers reenlisted, including Spc. Evan French, a Bradley transport crewmember, who followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather to serve in the military.

“I know the Army, in the long run, will definitely help me honor my family’s tradition and legacy, but also help me build my own legacy,” he said.

French has served three years and reenlisted on Thursday for another six. He hopes to eventually become a warrant officer working with Bradleys.

“When you’re part of a crew, that’s like your other family,” French said.

As for Schroeder, he was shot in the left arm but continued to advance on Utah Beach. A second gunshot wound in the same arm left him in a stretcher tagged for medical amputation. According to the National World War II Museum, he destroyed the tag and refused morphine during his evacuation so he could ensure doctors did not take his arm.

Schroeder’s arm was saved, but his injuries left him unable to serve, the museum said. When he returned to the U.S. he worked on bond drives to support WWII.

A public event to honor D-Day will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Friday at the Memorial Park Pavilions at 313 Hancock Ave.