‘Thunder’ Brigade hosts Saint Barbara’s Day Ball

Photo By Cpl. Jaewoo Oh | The Soldiers of 210th Field Artillery Brigade stand at attention in an induction ceremony into the Order of Saint Barbara, Feb. 12, at the Crystal Ball room of the Lotte Hotel, Seoul. The Soldiers received medals and drank mixed punch, "Grog" to officially become members of the Honorable Order of Saint Barbara.  

DONGDUCHEON, 41, SOUTH KOREA

02.24.2016

Story by Cpl. Jaewoo Oh 

210th Field Artillery Brigade

CAMP CASEY, South Korea – The 210th Field Artillery Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division/ROK-U.S Combined Division, hosted the annual Saint Barbara’s Day Ball, Feb 12, 2016, at Lotte Hotel, Seoul, South Korea, to commemorate the patron saint of field artillerymen, Saint Barbara.

The tale of Saint Barbara began in the third century. A pagan nobleman named Dioscorus locked his beautiful daughter in a tower to keep her from converting to Christianity. However, despite her imprisonment, Barbara followed the teachings of Christianity on her own.

Unable to control his wrath, Dioscorus ordered his own daughter to be tortured and killed. Afterwards, as he left the scene of his daughter’s murder, he was struck down and killed by a bolt of lightning in an act of retribution by God.

Saint Barbara thus became regarded as the patron saint for those in danger from thunderstorms, fires, and sudden death. Due to the unreliability of artillery equipment in the early years, our artillerymen sought Saint Barbara’s protection from unexpected explosion and death.

As a means to commemorate the patron saint and invoke her protection over our artillerymen and missions, the "Thunder" brigade invited families and friends to participate in a ball dedicated to honoring Saint Barbara.

Before the 210th FA BDE’s Saint Barbara’s Day Ball began, the brigade welcomed guests with video displays of the mission capabilities of each battalion and showcased small-scale models of artillery pieces outside the Crystal ballroom.

With more than 500 guests in attendance, the ball started with a social hour before the opening ceremony. During the ceremony, the guests stood for the presentation of colors and toasts from senior leaders of the brigade. The ceremony also featured a tribute to fallen Soldiers.

Sgt. 1st Class Wilfredo Rivera, a Fort Knox, Kentucky, native assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 210th FA BDE, 2ID/RUCD stood at attention in front of the Table of Honor to show respect for the fallen artillery Soldiers.

After being served a formal dinner, the guests’ attention was drawn to the traditional artillery "Grog Bowl" ceremony. Leaders from each of the battalions in the brigade were welcomed to the dance floor to add their “charge,” an ingredient of their choosing, to the "Grog Bowl." With ingredients ranging from fermented red ginseng to the brigade Command Sergeant Major’s sock, the daunting grog was ready to be served to the new inductees into the Order of Saint Barbara.

A total of 28 individuals were welcomed into to the Order of Saint Barbara. As they were inducted into the Order, the new members stood in formation and drank a "shot" fired from the "Grog Bowl" as a sign of their allegiance to the brigade and to the order.

Along with welcoming new members into the Order of Saint Barbara, four spouses were awarded the Molly Pitcher Award for their significant sacrifices and contributions to the 210th Field Artillery Brigade. This award represents Mary Ludwig Hays who served alongside her husband William Hays during the American Revolutionary War by supplying spring water for artillerymen during combat.

For the appreciation of the partnership and the support that the ROK Army had provided, the brigade invited friends and allies from the ROK Army. As a sign of respect towards the alliance, guest speaker Brig. Gen. Yeom Won Gyun, Chief of Fires and an Operation Officer of Combined Forces Command, delivered a speech.

“It is an honor to be invited for the celebration of Saint Barbara’s Day,” said Yeom. “This event shows the strength of the U.S Army and ROK Army alliance. I also wish for safe welfare of all the Artillery Soldiers in the peninsula.”

The Saint Barbara’s Day Ball shows that the "Thunder" brigade respects the traditions passed down from artillerymen of the past. The ball recognizes the efforts and contributions of past artillery Soldiers, which paved the way for the "Thunder" brigade to become the most forward-deployed lethal field artillery brigade in the world.

• Date Taken: 02.24.2016
• Date Posted: 03.01.2016 21:31
• Story ID: 190771
• Location: DONGDUCHEON, 41, KR