When I’m in Afghanistan, I have what some people may consider an odd habit: closely inspecting memorial tributes developed by the troops, for the troops. They come in many sizes, shapes and colors. There are murals. There are photographs. And there certainly are battlecrosses, which serve as the centerpiece of many memorial ceremonies that deployed Marines hold for their fallen brothers and sisters. Each of these tributes captures a story of sacrifice, pain and sadness. Conversely, they show a sobering sense of pride in the honor and dedication displayed by those who gave the last full measure of devotion. I…
Browsing: Memorial Day
A year ago today, I was at Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan, grateful that I had made it through a hairy three-week embed in the former Taliban stronghold of Marjah unharmed. I haven’t been back to Afghanistan since, although another trip looks promising for the fall. I’ve continued to man this blog, though, and readers have continued to share their thoughts on the sacrifices that are necessary during long, hard deployments. Frequently on Friday, you’ll find a new installment here of Bored Marine Video, which highlights the lighter sides of being a Marine. On Memorial Day weekend, however, that seemed wildly inappropriate.…
It’s been five years since 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines made the headlines for becoming the heaviest hit battalion in Iraq. The Reserve unit from Brook Park, Ohio, lost 46 Marines and two Navy corpsmen during its seven-month deployment to Al Anbar province, and while the headlines may have faded for the many, the memory of those lost brothers burns brightly for the few. A group of Marines currently and formerly in the 3/25, has organized an ambitious Memorial Day weekend event, a 106-mile run that will begin on Saturday at 7 a.m. at the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond, Va.…
