Deployed service members honor fallen on Memorial Day

Photo By Staff Sgt. Eunique Stevens | Airmen and Soldiers stand and salute during a retreat ceremony here May 25. The ceremony was held on Memorial Day in honor of the fifty-one Airmen and Soldiers who died while serving in the Kirkuk area of responsibility.  

05.31.2009

Story by Senior Airman Jessica Lockoski 

506th Air Expeditionary Group

America's fallen, who answered their nation's call in a final feat, could not answer to a military roll call during a joint-service Memorial Day retreat ceremony here May 25. Instead, their deployed brothers and sisters-in-arms stood in their place out of respect.

Airmen from the 506th Air Expeditionary Group and Soldiers from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, honored those who died in the line of duty within the Kirkuk area of operations by forming a flight formation comprised of 51 retreat participants, each representing a fallen hero here since the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 to April 2009.

"We owe it as military members to remember those who are fighting and have fought and died for the ... freedom of our nation," said Senior Master Sgt. Nyron Alexander, 506th Expeditionary Force Support Squadron superintendent, one of two emcees during the ceremony.

Sergeant Alexander, a Queens, N.Y., native deployed from Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., said the least he feels service members should do is recognize a moment of silence and honor those killed in action with a salute for the pride, honor and dedication they displayed for their country.
Servicemembers here paid such homage.

One Soldier watching the ceremony placed his hand over his heart when he heard the name of a comrade from his battalion called out: Staff Sgt. Leroy Webster, who was killed in the line of duty April 25, 2009.

"It [paying respect] is a pretty big deal to me," said Pfc. Michael Goines, an intelligence analyst from the 3rd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment. "It hurts."

The Wilmington, Del., native deployed from Ft. Hood, Texas, said he used to see Sergeant Webster every day at his command post and feels it's important honoring him and others who lost their lives.

Those like Sergeant Webster who paid the ultimate sacrifice give Air Force Staff Sgt. Walter Lahair Jr., a Springfield, Mass., native, a reason to feel grateful as well.

"Being deployed this Memorial Day makes me even more humble," said Sergeant Lahair, 506th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron, deployed from Westover Air Reserve Base, Mass. "I remember those who have gone before me, and I am ever more grateful that because of their sacrifice my son can grow up in a country where his rights and freedoms are protected by the men and women like the fallen heroes we honor here today."

• Date Taken: 05.31.2009
• Date Posted: 06.08.2009 02:49
• Story ID: 34680