Location: Fort Hood, TX
Date: March 12, 2009
At the vast premises of Fort Hood a monument made of black granite that is beautifully etched stands tall. This monument stands as a dedication to those who have sacrificed their lives for Operation Iraqi Freedom. On March 12, 2010 the memorial was rededicated to include the names of 69 soldiers lost between January 2009 and January 2010. Our family gathered with family members, friends, local community leaders, and other soldiers of the 1st Cavalry Division to honor our fallen soldiers. The memorial included Pfc. John Merrel who reminded the audience that “These names are not just (etchings on the black granite memorial), they are lives lived”.
Once the ceremony ended, the crowd gathered around the memorial, leaving flowers, tracing the names of their loved ones, and saying their goodbyes.
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