FORWARD OPERATING BASE DELHI, Helmand province, Afghanistan — The memorial for British service members here has been reconstructed to recognize members of Afghan and Marine forces who have made the ultimate sacrifice in Garmsir district.
On Nov. 11, a ceremony christening the Forward Operation Base Delhi Memorial will be held in observance of Remembrance Day, a holiday honoring those who have died serving in the British armed forces, and Veterans Day.
The new construction includes refurbishments, improving the concrete foundation and two additional flagpoles to represent all three nations. The memorial originally recognized British soldiers who fought and died in Garmsir from 2006 to 2008.
The idea to refurbish the memorial came from British Army Maj. Andrew Green. He is in Garmsir with a platoon of engineers making improvements to canals throughout the district.
With the help of more than 40 Marines from 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, Green was able to reconstruct the memorial to ensure his brothers-in-arms from Afghanistan and the United States were equally represented.
“It’s important to reflect on the contributing efforts of all the involved nations … and their sacrifice as well,” said Green, officer in charge of the 170th Engineer Group, Royal Engineers, British Army, and native of Sheffield, England. “It’s very personal for the military, we want to pay respect to our fallen comrades.”
“This is a small gesture to recognize the sacrifice of the fallen and to ensure they will be remembered with dignity,” Green added.
Other additions to the memorial include red and white, painted rocks lying among un-painted rocks around the base of the memorial.
The white rocks represent peace in the area and red rocks, 40 in total, represent Marines who have given their life in Garmsir. Poppy wreaths – a memoir used in the UK since World War I to symbolize fallen soldiers – representing British units who have operated in Garmsir also adorn the memorial. An anti-aircraft gun, salvaged from soviet-era fighting in Garmsir, sits next to the memorial as a reminder of the decades of conflict Afghans have endured.
For Staff Sgt. Phillip Halpain, who helped work on the memorial, the reconstruction also represents the joint effort that has turned Garmsir from a haven for insurgent forces into one of the most secure in Helmand province.
“If you look at the history of Garmsir from 2006 to now the security has improved greatly,” said Halpain, 1/3’s intelligence chief and a native of Roswell, N.M. “I think the fact that we are taking the time to recognize the Afghan, Marine and British brethren that have fallen represents the joint effort to make security of the district happen.”
The memorial is a fitting tribute to three nations who have shed blood in Garmsir. The progress made in the district would not have been possible had even one piece been missing from the partnered security effort.
“I don’t think the Marines would have been as successful if the British hadn’t of laid down the groundwork,” Halpain added. “The success we see today is possible because everyone involved has sacrificed to make it happen.”
Editor’s note: First Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, is currently assigned to Regimental Combat Team 5, 2nd Marine Division (Forward), which heads Task Force Leatherneck. The task force serves as the ground combat element of Regional Command (Southwest) and works in partnership with the Afghanistan National Security Forces and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to conduct counterinsurgency operations. The unit is dedicated to securing the Afghan people, defeating insurgent forces, and enabling the ANSF assumption of security responsibilities within its operations in order to support the expansion of stability, development and legitimate governance.
| Date Taken: |
11.09.2011 |
| Date Posted: |
11.10.2011 01:25 |
| Story ID: |
79824 |
| Location: |
FORWARD OPERATING BASE DELHI, AF |
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This work, A memorial of sacrifice in Garmsir, by Cpl Colby Brown, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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