ALAMOSA – Seven tolls rang out across the San Luis Valley’s blue sky on the morning of Saturday, Jan. 3, at the American Legion Post No. 113 in Alamosa, honoring the sacrifice of a local hero who died serving his country and saving his fellow brothers in arms during Desert Storm. 

Thirty-five years have passed, and the name Maj. Paul Jennings Weaver still resonates through the hearts of family, friends and in the tolling of the Pikes Peak Honor Bell. Family, friends and service men and women gathered on Saturday in honor of the heroic deeds of Weaver who gave his life and for those who served on Spirit 03 with him, in favor of saving the lives of Marine troops on the ground. 

The ceremony began with a welcome by Honor Bell Executive Director Karen Kantor, who like many in the audience served her country and paid a high price for the freedom afforded to many. “We are here to honor a brother, a friend and to remember the sacrifice of freedom, because it is never free.” 

Kantor welcomed Rio Grande County Veteran Affairs Director Jack Rudder, who took a moment to speak about prisoners of war and those missing in action. 

“Today we honor prisoners of war and the missing inaction. Service members whose absence is a wound that never fully closes. Men and women who answered their Nation’s call and whose fate remains unknown as families continue to wait and hope. They are not forgotten. They are not lost to history. They remain in our hearts, in our prayers, and their promise that their service and their sacrifice will always be remembered.” 

The ceremony was a heart-felt tribute to someone who was not only a hero of war but also someone who lived in the Valley, walked its many trails, fished in the streams and went to school alongside those who remained to remember him. Weaver was remembered by all who attended, including his sister Jennifer Lavery. 

“As I look out, I see a lot of veterans. You give great service, more than people ever know. You served in battle, you served with brothers with dignity, honor and grace. But more so, I see veterans that are still getting back today who give back in honor of the families. Some of you may wonder why you are here and others are not. You are here because God put you here in order to serve others. Because families need you,” said Lavery. 

In 2020, Lavery was asked to entrust her bother’s Silver Star and shrapnel collected from the aircraft Spirit 03 to be transported across the world to a Dutch bell maker by Honor Bell member Tom Worley and two others. 

“These artifacts were so important to us that we flew across the world to place them into the material being used to craft the bell. It was such an honor and that is the reason we do this,” said Worley. 

Maj. Weaver, of Alamosa, served as Aircraft Commander of the AC-130H Spectre Gunship “Spirit 03” with the 16th Special Operations Squadron during Operation Desert Storm. In the early morning hours of Jan. 31, 1991, while returning to base, Weaver and his crew received an urgent distress call from U.S. Marines under heavy enemy fire near the Kuwaiti border during the Battle of Khafji. Without hesitation, Spirit 03 turned back to provide air support. 

While engaging enemy positions under intense and sustained anti-aircraft fire, Maj. Weaver and his crew successfully protected Marines on the ground and disrupted an enemy's advance. As dawn broke, the aircraft was shot down. All 14 members of the aircrew were killed, marking the largest single loss of U.S. Air Force personnel during the operation. 

For their extraordinary courage and devotion to duty, Maj. Weaver and each member of his crew were posthumously awarded the Silver Star. 

Weaver was born on Sept. 2, 1956, and graduated from the United States Air Force Academy, Class of 1979. Though his remains were never recovered, his legacy endures through the lives he helped save and the example of selfless service he left behind. 

As part of the Honor Bell Foundation’s mission to ensure dignified remembrance for those who have served and sacrificed, Maj. Weaver’s Silver Star and a 105mm high-explosive shell fragment fired by Spirit 03 during the Battle of Khafji were entrusted to the foundation and forged into the Pikes Peak Honor Bell. Each time the Honor Bell is tolled, it resonates not only in remembrance of fallen heroes, but also in enduring honor of Maj. Weaver and his crew. 

The bell was crafted with the medals and artifacts from 12 Southern Colorado Veterans who gave their lives for the United States and each time the bell tolls their memories are forged into the folds of existence, ringing out along the space of time and shaping them into the hearts of all who carry them.  

The bell serves as a foundation and rock for veterans from all over the world seeking a place of comfort and camaraderie among others who can help them heal and deal with the unseen scars of war.  

The Honor Bell stands as the first tolling bell ever cast in U.S. history specifically crafted to pay a final honor to United States service members killed in action and Armed Forces veterans. Solely veterans and active-duty service members toll this custom-designed, 1,000-pound bronze bell, measuring 37 inches in diameter and 40 inches in height. 

Its motto, “Forged From Honor,” epitomizes its significance. During the casting process, artifacts from 12 deceased Colorado service members spanning from World War II to the global war on terror were infused into the molten bronze.  

For more information or to make a donation, visit www.honorbell.org.