The Army Reserve Soldiers of the 314th Public Affairs Operations Center and the 222nd Broadcast Operations Detachment and their U.S. contracted translators took time from their busy schedules today to honor the memory of those who gave their lives serving our country. 

For some of the Soldiers, it was a very personal occasion.  They knew friends, neighbors and family members who had made that ultimate sacrifice. 

For instance, SFC Adam Daley knew of a young man from his hometown of Rome, GA, who was killed in Iraq.  Despite the grief of the loss (or perhaps because of it), the Soldier’s mother led an effort to make vehicles safer for servicemembers.

One of our translators, Mr. Ali Kahbi, felt the loss as well.  In one of his previous assignments here in Iraq before the arrival of the 314th PAOC, he was assigned to a unit that lost both a sergeant and a captain.  “It was very tragic and painful for the unit,” he said, becoming somber as he remembered their faces and names.

I am not sure if my military career is the same as others, but I have had the privilege to play a part in honoring five fallen heroes over the past decade.

The first was in June 2000 when the Department of Defense reviewed the records of World War II veterans, and 22 of them had their military awards upgraded to the Congressional Medal of Honor.  One of the Soldiers honored was Pvt. Joe Hayashi, a former member of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team.  I felt honored to be selected to assist the family of Pvt. Hayashi for a couple reasons.  The first is that I had studied Japanese in college, so I felt a certain kinship to his family from Pasadena, CA, and the second is that I served for four years in the 100th Battalion/442nd Infantry, the successor of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team’s military lineage. 

I threw myself into this mission and made sure that Pvt. Hayashi’s family knew that the U.S. government was proud of his military service, and honored the ultimate sacrifice he made in April 1945 in Italy.  This was communicated directly by President Bill Clinton at a White House ceremony and Secretary of Defense William Cohen at the Pentagon.

The next time I was involved in honoring a fallen hero was also in Washington, DC, when a fellow Army Reserve Soldier was killed on the Pentagon attack on September 11, 2001.  I was asked to take part in the funeral ceremony at Arlington National Cemetary. 

LTC David Scales left behind a wife and two children.  They were present that day in late 2001 when we assembled.  I remember vividly now that his wife had brought a card for her late husband.  She said she had written a note to him in the card….and she wanted me to tie the card to the helium-filled balloons she also carried.   I tied the balloons to the card and watched as she released it at the end of the funeral ceremony.  It floated up into the blue sky over the Pentagon toward the east.  After a few minutes it disappeared into the clouds.

Gravesite of SPC Michael G. Karr, Jr., and four other Soldiers who died with him.

Two years later I was asked to take Casualty Assistance Office training at Fort Myer.   Casualty Assistance Officers provide a variety of roles, including being the initial notifier of a death to the next of kin.  Within a couple months of the training, I got a call to report to Fort Myer for my first assignment.  Five Soldiers had been killed on March 31, 2004, in Habbaniyah, Iraq, when a an improvised explosive device hit their armored personnel carrier.  Because of the circumstances, the remains of all five Soldiers were buried together, but each family received the support of a Casualty Assistance Officer in DC.  One of the Soldiers killed that day was SPC Michael G. Karr, Jr., and I was chosen to support his family when they arrived from Texas for the burial at Arlington National Cemetery. 

I worked directly with the primary Casualty Assistance Officer in Texas who had notified SPC Karr’s family .  I was there in DC to support them and their guests throughout the period from their arrival to the burial of their son, brother and friend. 

My cousin Derek T. Stenroos.

A year and a half ago, I received a call from one of my favorite cousins, Kenita Stenroos, who lives in North Pole, Alaska.  I could tell something was wrong when she started talking….and it didn’t take to find out what it was.  Her son, Derek, had been killed in Iraq when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee during combat operations.   He was only 24 years old and assigned to the 10th Mountain Division from Fort Drum, NY.  Three other Soldiers were killed in the attack.

I don’t remember exactly what I said to Kenita at that moment she told me.  I was sitting at my desk at work, and she asked me to get as much information as I could.  I do remember that I wanted to be as supportive as possible.  I remember telling her that I would do anything I could to help her through this.  I did ask for the name of the Casualty Assistance Officer.

Within a couple days I called the Department of Defense’s mortuary at Dover Air Force Base to help expedite Derek’s remains back to his mother.  I also called the Casualty Assistance Officer on several occasions to make sure he realized the importance of his assignment — and that I was available to assist him — and that I was keeping in touch with my cousin to make sure she received the support that she needed and deserved.

Although I was not able to fly to Fairbanks to be with my cousin at the funeral, thankfully my mother was able to go.  I hope that my assistance did something to ease her pain and let her know that Derek’s sacrifice will never be forgotten.

About two months ago, I had my most recent opportunity to honor another fallen hero.  The military post office at Forward Operating Base Prosperity was preparing to open, and the headquarters wanted to spotlight the work of postal workers in Iraq.  1SG Dave Moore and I proposed a memorialization to name the post office for a fallen hero.  After some research, we found that there was an Army Reserve Soldier killed in Baghdad in April 2004 who worked for the U.S. Postal Service in his civilian career — SGT Lawrence Roukey. 

With the assistance and approval of the Human Resources Command in Alexandria, VA, we were able to contact SGT Roukey’s widow, Ryann, and his former co-workers at the Portland, ME, postal facility.  With their support, we were able to spotlight the efforts of all military postal workers and the sacrifices that Soldiers and their families make.

So, in keeping with the traditions of honoring those gave their lives serving their nation, we assembled early today in the back courtyard of the CPIC.   The following pictures capture our short ceremony.

The Soldiers of the 314th PAOC and 222nd BOD were called to attention by 1SG Jeremiah Glassford.

SGT Bryan Tull (front) and SFC Adam Daley prepare for the order to advance and raise the U.S. flag.

LTC Ignacio Perez addresses the assembled Soldiers about the sacrifices all military members make...and what that means here in Iraq on this Memorial Day.

The flag detail advances to the flag pole.

The flag details attaches the flag.

The flags begins it travels up the pole while Soldiers salute.

SFC Daley pulls and the flag raises.

In keeping with Memorial Day flag etiquette, the flag is first raised to the top of the pole.

After the flag is raised to the top of the pole, it is lowered to half staff until noon. After that it is raised to full staff for the remainder of the day until it is retired.

With the flag at half staff, LTC Perez calls the Soldiers to order arms.

The Soldiers Creed is recited by all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SOLDIERS CREED: I am an American Soldier. I am a warrior and a member of a team. I serve the people of the United States and I live the Army Values. I will always place the mission first. I will never accept defeat. I will never quit. I will never leave a fallen comrade. I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills. I always maintain my arms, my equipment and myself. I am an expert and I am a professional. I stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy the enemies of the United States of America in close combat. I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life. I am an American Soldier.

A fitting tribute to all fallen heroes.

All photos by SGT Ferdinand Thomas, 222nd BOD.