Tag Archives: memorial

Tarawa Marines Repatriated 70 Years Later

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser (repeated at the Stars and Stripes) covered the repatriation of the remains of 36 US Marines from Tarawa’s Betio Island, where they fell in battle more than 70 years ago:

History Flight Inc., a Florida nonprofit that has searched Tarawa for more than five years, announced in June its discovery of a burial trench on Tarawa’s Betio Island, a sandy grave of at least 36 Marines killed Nov. 20-23, 1943…

The flag-draped caskets Read more

Court: Lake Elsinore War Memorial Advances Religion

The proposed Lake Elsinore war memorial — which was to portray the iconic silhouette of a soldier kneeling at a cross-shaped headstone — was declared unconstitutional by US District Judge Stephen Wilson:

On Thursday (Feb. 27), U.S. District Judge Stephen V. Wilson of California’s Central District ruled that a granite monument depicting a soldier kneeling in prayer before a cross lacked “a secular purpose” and has “the unconstitutional effect” of endorsing religion over nonreligion.

For those that can’t seem to remember, the US Constitution says this about religion:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…

Is such a stone really Congress making a law respecting establishment? Using the Lemon Test, the Judge (PDF) said:  Read more

Mojave Cross Case Settled, Cross will Stand

In April 2010, the US Supreme Court overturned a lower court decision that claimed a transfer of National Park Service land in the Mojave National Preserve — upon which stood a cross — was an end-run around the US Constitution.

In January 2011, the VFW sued the government for failing to abide by that decision and allowing the cross to stand.  In fact, while the case was ongoing the cross was stolen; when a replacement appeared, the government took it down.

Now it appears the case is done:

A federal judge has approved Read more

Fallen Marine Remembered by Comrades

Lance Cpl. John T. Sparks, killed in action on October 8th, was remembered by his unit in Afghanistan. The memorial was a somber, lighthearted, and faithful tribute to a young warrior.

“Sparks loved machine guns,” said [Cpl. Jeffery] Holsey. “He would always say that ‘Everyone wants to be a machine gunner until it is time to be a machine gunner, because the hurt we carried separated the men from the boys.'”

The short, quiet ceremony was marked by Bible verses and prayers honoring Sparks. Final Roll was called three times for Lance Cpl. John T. Sparks only to be answered by silence. Taps followed in a final farewell.

US Army Chaplain Dale Goetz Remembered

The Army.mil website has photos of a memorial held at Fort Jackson, SC, site of the US Armed Forces Chaplains Center, for US Army Chaplain (Capt) Dale Goetz, recently killed in combat.

Interestingly, the traditional “Soldier’s cross,” formed by an upended rifle, boots, and helmet, was appropriately modified with an actual cross to replace the M-16; the former was carried by the non-combatant Chaplain, the latter was not.

Memorial Service Honors Faith of Fallen Soldier

A moving memorial was held for US Army Major Ronald “Wayne” Culver, killed by an IED in Iraq on May 24th.  The Chaplain, a friend of the Major, spoke of his faith and his salvation:

The service continued with the chaplain speaking of the major’s faith and how he knew he would see his friend in heaven. He choked up at the podium and the squadron command sergeant major walked across the stage to support him. The room was deathly silent, save for the sound of more than 500 battle-tested Soldiers sniffling.

Prayer and the playing of Amazing Grace on bagpipes, another military memorial tradition with spiritual undertones, was Read more

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