[Dan]

RELEASE NUMBER: 080526-01
DATE POSTED: MAY 26, 2008

Special Forces honors fallen on Memorial Day

By Spc. Anthony Hawkins Jr.
USASOC PAO

FORT BRAGG, N.C. (USASOC News Service, May 26, 2008) – The U.S. Army Special Forces Command, together with the Special Forces Association, honored the memories of fallen comrades by holding the 40th Annual Special Forces Memorial Day Ceremony here today.

The ceremony was a time for members of the Special Forces Regiment to remember their fallen brethren, retired and active duty, past and present.

Maj. Gen. Thomas R. Csrnko, USASFC(A) commanding general, hosted the event, which was held on Meadows Field.

“I am honored to be with you today, on a day so rich,” Csrnko said. “With me, our nation’s flag flies at half-staff to express our profound gratitude for the acts of brave patriots, who gave the full measure, so that we might live free to place flowers on their graves and speak words of eulogy.”

It was those actions on which Memorial Day was original founded.

In 1867, a group of Confederate women visited a cemetery in Columbus, Miss., to decorate the graves of those sons and fathers who died serving the Confederacy. What the women also found in the cemetery were the unkempt and forgotten graves of many Union Soldiers. The women could not bring themselves to ignore the graves, so they carefully decorated them, until there was nothing which could distinguish them from the graves of the Confederate Soldiers.

A reporter from the New York Tribune witnessed the acts and soon the story spread across the country. It inspired Gen. John Logan, the head of the Grand Army of the Republic, the Union’s veteran organization, to designate May 30, 1868 be a day to decorate the graves of fallen Soldiers. Originally called Decoration Day, Memorial Day was formally established in 1882 as a day of remembrance for those who have died in national service.

However, many Americans today do not fully understand the meaning of Memorial Day, Csrnko said.

“This is a sacred day for all war veterans,” said retired Sgt. Maj. Gary Betterton, national president of the Special Forces Association. “None of us have to be reminded why we celebrate this day. What about the general public, and more important, future generations? The day has simply become another day off from work. Perhaps another reminder is due.”
This reminder and the act of relaying the message of sacrifice is the duty of every veteran, Betterton said.

“Far too often the nation as a whole takes for granted the freedoms all Americans enjoy,” he said. “This is a national debt that can only repaid by honoring the nation’s dead.”

Without remembrance, future generations of Americans may not know their heritage and history.

“We would do well to heed the words of Abraham Lincoln, who said, ‘Any nation who does not honor its heroes will not long endure,’” Csrnko said. “Well, we do remember. We remember that Soldiers serve, and some die, to preserve our bedrock freedoms. Among them are the freedom of association, of speech, participation in governance, the freedom of worship and the freedom to pursue happiness.”

Remembering the sacrifices of those lost in battle and speaking kind words of them are important, but Csrnko wonders if that is enough.

“In our hearts we know we can’t fully discharge our solemn obligation to these men and women with mere words or gestures,” he said. “They did not die for words or wreathes alone. They died so that in freedom, our nation might endure. It is therefore fitting this Memorial Day that we return our thoughts to the renewal of our own dedication to the cause of freedom. It is a personal matter for us to renew our commitment, our involvement in a freedom that our dead have purchased at such a dear price.”

More than 83 Special Forces Soldiers have lost their lives since the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan began. Many more have been injured, and thousands are continually serving in harm’s way every day.

“Right now as I speak to you, young heroes are risking their lives somewhere out there,” Csrnko said. “They do this for us. They do this for their country. They do this, because like millions before them, they accepted the defense of freedom in a very personal matter not to be left solely to others. They were stirred from within by a desire to make a difference, and in doing so they became the strength of our nation.”

Memorial Day is not only a day for remembering those heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country, but also for remembering those who endure the hardships of war far from home, he said.

“So let us pay tribute today to those heroes who gave their full and final measure,” he said. “Let us make a personal commitment to do two things before the arrival of summer. Visit the gravesites of our fallen Soldiers and give thanks. Also, let us reach over and shake the hand of a living hero, whether it is someone in uniform waiting in line at the grocery checkout, or a veteran standing on a parade route saluting Old Glory as she passes by. Tell them you understand the depths of their commitment. Tell them you honor their service. Tell them simply, thanks. In this way we will continually renew the spirit of involvement reflected in the kind and good acts of those southern ladies in 1867.”

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RELEASE NUMBER: 080528-01
DATE POSTED: MAY 28, 2008

USASOC remembers fallen heroes
By Spc. Anthony Hawkins Jr.
USASOC PAO

FORT BRAGG, N.C. (Sine Pari, May 28, 2008) – Rain mixed with tears from family and friends of fallen Special Operations Soldiers as the names of their lost loved ones were unveiled on the memorial wall. Through the sobs, only the pitter-patter of raindrops and the sound of a lone brass bell which rang in honor of their sacrifice could be heard.

More than 200 family members of 32 Special Operations Soldiers gathered here today from across the country to honor their loved ones and the ultimate sacrifice they made.

The U.S. Army Special Operations Command held its annual Soldier Memorialization Ceremony on Memorial Plaza in remembrance of the past year’s fallen Special Operations Forces Soldiers.

Lt. Gen. Robert W. Wagner, USASOC commanding general, hosted the event.

“Today… we honor our nation’s greatest heroes, 32 Special Operations Soldiers who, during the past year, answered our nation’s call and gave their life preserving freedom and our way of life,” Wagner said.

The ceremony, which is held the week of Memorial Day each year, serves as a day of remembrance when the names of fallen SOF Warriors are added to the USASOC Memorial Wall of Honor. These Soldiers died performing some of the most dangerous and important missions in the U.S. military.

The USASOC Memorial Wall of Honor reflects much of the history of Army Special Operations.

“Their image, and your image, reflect what is absolutely the very best of America, courageous heroes who knowingly and selflessly serve our nation to preserve our way of life,” Wagner said. “We gather to honor [these] men and women of uncommon courage, valor and service, and the families and communities who reared, nurtured and instilled the values that matured youngsters into the character of American heroes.”

The names of more than 800 heroes rest on the wall, ranging from Vietnam to Somalia, to the current War on Terror.

The event was an emotional experience for families and friends who have already gone through so much in losing a loved one. Still, many proved to be strong.

Glenda Penton of Defuniak Springs, Fla., the mother of Sgt. Timothy Padgett, said dealing with the grief of losing her son proved difficult.

“Families deal with grief in different ways, and sometimes through the pain and hurt there are some negative things that come out,” Penton said. “I found my healing comes more from reaching out and continuing to give. That’s what helps my heart to heal.”

Padgett, who was a Special Forces medical sergeant with 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), was killed May 8, 2007 in Afghanistan when his patrol was ambushed by enemy fighters. He died of wounds sustained in the ensuing firefight.

Penton recalls being interviewed by local media after his son’s death, where she told the reporters she would only agree to the interview if they did not speak negatively about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“I would not dare say anything negative about something my son believed so much in,” she said. “He brought so much honor to our family, and he died doing what he loved doing. He did it because he loved his country and his family, and he died to protect them. The least that we as a family can do is support that.”

As the last roll call of the fallen Soldiers was read, the memorial wall was unveiled, displaying Sgt. Timothy Padgett’s name along with the names of his 31 brothers-in-arms.

“This is not an easy moment,” Wagner said. “But it is forever a proud moment.”

Seeing the name of her son on the wall invoked memories for Penton, she said.

“People often don’t realize that when we have memories, there are emotions that are associated with those memories,” Penton said. “Again, our heart swells from the pride that our son brought to our family. The loss is just an emptiness that you have to learn to live with.”

As memories of loved ones swam through families’ thoughts, Wagner ensured them that their loss will never be forgotten.

“With all that is pure in America and the world, the absolute and lasting truth is that our fallen Soldiers are good men of the highest order,” he said. “Their service was selfless. They are our friends, our heroes, and they will remain in our hearts and memories forever.”

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