The Brits Honoring Their Fallen {and thoughts of a Memorial}

(9 am. – promoted by ek hornbeck)

I started this out this morning just collecting a few reports to post at my site on new news of the Iraq War Inquiries. I quickly ran into a number of reports of a moving re-dedication of a memorial that once stood in Basra Iraq and started there to Honor the Fallen British Soldiers by their brothers serving in that occupation.

The reason my first intention grew was what these reports spoke as to that Honor and those, the families of as well as friends and advocates, who wanted that Iraq Memorial moved back to Britain and placed where all can visit and dwell on these recent years, over for the British Soldiers in Iraq but not our soldiers there nor for the Brits, Ours and the NATO forces in Afghanistan.

It also brought back strongly a picture I’ve been carrying in my mind since shortly after the Sept 11th attacks here. I knew what was coming, didn’t realize it would last for years nor that from that we would invade and occupy another country especially on ever changing reasons and trumped up intelligence causing not one but two war fronts and now a third. That picture grew stronger as the years passed and especially with every visit to Washington, from before the invasion of Iraq to the weekend of ‘shock and awe’ {eight page pdf of VFP newsletter} to the many times after as tens of thousands of ‘focus groups’ kept trying to stop what was started and creating terror on others with the deaths and destruction. More about that picture, real strong in my head right now, after the reports of this Memorial by the Families of and the British Nation.

Relatives looks at the Basra Memorial Wall

A momentous day for relatives of the Iraq fallen

11 March 2010

Relatives are reflected in the Basra Memorial Wall of rededication at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, central England ANDREW YATES/AFP/Getty Images

As The Last Post sounded, the wind that had buffeted the National Memorial Arboretum suddenly dropped and the billowing flags hung forlornly as heads were bowed in silence.

Wave after wave of the families of those who perished in Iraq moved forward solemnly to place their own flowery tributes at the newly rededicated Basra

Memorial, the infirm assisted by younger arms.

For a few minutes they crowded around, urgent eyes scanning the gleaming brass plaques set in regimented rows on the brick red granite, looking for their son, daughter, husband or wife. Some sobbed openly as they placed their fingers delicately on the inscription they found. >>>>>

Basra memorial to Iraq war dead re-dedicated

A woman lays flowers to fallen service personnel at the Basra Memorial Wall in Staffordshire

A monument to the 179 Britons who died in the Iraq war and its aftermath was re-dedicated Thursday at the National Memorial Arboretum, having been brought back from Basra.

The Basra Memorial Wall remembers the 178 troops and one defence ministry civilian who died during Britain’s six-year operation in Iraq following the March 2003 invasion.

Made from brick with brass plaques listing each life lost, the wall originally stood outside the British forces’ headquarters at Basra in southern Iraq. It was built by the colleagues of the fallen.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown joined military chiefs and loved ones of those killed for the ceremony at the site in west central England. >>>>>

Iraq War Memorial Wall Re-Dedicated In UK

There’s another short video at the BBC of the ceremony, at the memorial, at the beginning of the dedication.

Iraq memorial re-dedication for a fitting tribute

The re-dedication of an Iraq memorial and the repatriation from Afghanistan of the bodies of five soldiers were solemn reminders yesterday of the human cost of two wars.

We ask much of the brave young men and women who serve in the armed forces and it is the nation’s duty to honour the fallen.

The Basra memorial wall, rebuilt at the National Memorial Arboretum, is a special place for families, friends and comrades. >>>>>

And this one from Sky News that was with the one above:

{not quite sure if this took place with the ceremonies yesterday, no date stamp, but the video was in the same line and report and shows the country Honoring}

Gordon Brown attends rededication of the Basra Wall at its new home at the National Memorial Arboretum

12 Mar 2010 Gordon Brown and David Cameron yesterday attended the rededication of the Basra Memorial Wall at its new home in the National Memorial Arboretum.

Around 500 family members of personnel who have lost their lives in Iraq attended the ceremony, which included a flypast by a formation of Tornado GR4 aircraft from 31 Squadron.

The Operation Telic Memorial Candle was lit by Tracey Hazel, the mother of Cpl Ben Leaning, of the Queen’s Royal Lancers, who was killed in Iraq in April 2007.

The arrival of the wall at the Arboretum, in Alrewas, Staffs, marked a victory for campaigners. >>>>>

Knowing, especially as it quickly came out that the 9/11 devastating and destructive plane attacks were orchestrated by the ghost enemy and group al Qaeda, we were heading towards Afghanistan with our military might to search out and destroy this growing group of radicals who had already been organizing and growing over the years as a result of our past foreign policies as well as their own growing hatreds, under different names had long been carrying out criminal terror attacks in many countries against western interests as well as western civilians and military personal.

Knowing the terrain and alot about Afghanistan, from the many years of the Soviet occupation, I pictured another Vietnam but not with jungles and rivers but huge mountains and desert type terrain, and hoping we had learned the lessons of our not so long ago occupation of little Vietnam. Many of us who served in Vietnam, as well as the country with almost one voice, swore we would learn those lessons and never again invade and occupy others for long protracted warfare and occupational control, but those you invade will fight back in anyway they can and using anything at their disposal. Those lessons weren’t learned by the country and especially our military, the lessons they came away with were we would do it better, trouble was as seen in both these theaters it took years to figure out there is no better, there’s only occupation and fighting back against same and in todays world the growing hatreds and seeking retaliation in criminal terror acts anywhere and towards anyone connected to those that continue to occupy their lands.

As the days into months into years kept growing that picture in my mind was solidifying, but as a ‘Nam Vet from another generation I’m not the one, nor are our brothers, to bring that picture to reality, we can help but it’s up to these new generation combat veterans serving multiple tours to seek out their Memorial to their fallen brothers and sisters. I’ve suggested this a few times over these years, and just did so to a returned Iraq and Afghan Vet, out now, who I met shortly after he returned and moved back in with his mother who lives in the apartment complex where I do.

It is up to this generations veterans to have their own Memorial as well as how, where or what it should be. I haven’t heard nor seen anything from any of the VSO groups that have come online these last years as to attempts to get this started, there may be but if so it’s been a quiet movement. Knowing how slow things move in Washington someone or some group should start the fight for as soon as possible, look how long it took to get the World War II National Memorial. I do know one thing it shouldn’t carry with the idea of a Memorial that which did for ours, The Wall. Almost as soon as  Vietnam Veteran Jan Scruggs started pushing for a Memorial controversy started from many fronts, even from many vietnam vets, and only grew when a design was chosen. There shouldn’t be any, and better not be, controversy as to any decision by todays Veterans for a Memorial to their Brothers and Sisters but even without it will take time to organize, fund and especially get the politicians to approve if built within Washington along with our other War Memorials. And after all we have the Korean War Memorial as our military soldiers are still serving on the demarcation line of the two Korea’s.

The picture I carry, and again if and when anyone or group start organizing it will be their memorial and their decisions, is of another Wall of Names of the Fallen etched into stone, this Wall should be facing ours, two reasons, to create a corridor of those who visit to walk through and because us veterans couldn’t stop not only the invasions with understandable policies and reasons, and not wars of choice, but also the now long running occupations. This wall, I picture of white or off white stone or marble for the desert terrain’s with black embossed lettering for the names, should be built atop steps for each year of the occupations, looking now like the Afghanistan conflict will continue past soldiers in Iraq, thus making it stand above ours looking down on, again because we and the country never learned the real lessons of. On steps as well because as we went to war and as it has lasted the country was never asked to sacrifice, the only ones doing so are the soldiers, much more then even before, and their families especially the families of the fallen. We were told to go shopping, as the wars were also placed off budget and on the credit card of the coming generations. The least this country can do is finally sacrifice, and this time really learn the lessons, by walking up steps to honor and touch the names, a step for each year our soldiers are in these theaters.

This time though any Memorial built, especially with the names of the Fallen, no matter what it looks like or where it is, should be made not only for the present but the future. It should not only carry the names of those killed in these theaters, as of March 12th 2010 there are 4,386 American Soldiers killed in Iraq and 1,012 American Soldiers killed in Afghanistan, but also those not in those counts, the returned Veterans of who’ve committed Suicide, any who’ve developed physical problems from serving in these theaters, like now the growing reports on burn pits and possible use of depleted uranium and any others which will now shorten the lives of those who served, the numbers are much higher then those used to show their Sacrifice to the Country that still fights funding all the needs after soldiers return.

Just my thoughts, but I would like to see at least a couple of these new veterans take up this cause but better yet the new groups and come to coalitions in making this happen, They Deserve It And If They Don’t Do It The Country Won’t!!