BAGHDAD – Soldiers of 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment stand at parade rest outside of their headquarters on a hot Monday morning at Contingency Operating Station Falcon.
In front of the formation is a wooden platform with two rifles, two pairs of boots with spurs and two helmets. On May 31 the squadron's Soldiers did more than just pay silent tribute to their fallen comrades, they mixed sweat with tears.
"It is more than fitting that we stand together," said Lt. Col. Kirk Dorr, the 5th Sqdn., 7th Cav. Regt. commander: "one squadron, one family, within the capital city of Baghdad, and honor those Warpaint troopers who willingly gave their last full measure of devotion in this war-torn region throughout Operation Iraqi Freedom."
As he spoke, Soldiers individually went up to the memorial to place a set of dog tags on either rifle, signifying a fallen Soldier from either OIF III or V.
"Each of our fallen was uniquely special," said Dorr. "As members of a true band of brothers, they learned to rely on one another. They chose to be faithful. They chose to reject the fashionable skepticism of this conflict. They chose to believe and answer the call of duty. They stood for something."
Originally known as Decoration Day, Memorial Day is meant to commemorate U.S. men and women who died while in military service. First created to honor Union Soldiers during the American Civil War, it grew after World War I.
"The observance of this day was born of compassion and empathy in 1863," said Dorr. "As the Civil War raged, grieving mothers, wives, daughters, sisters and loved ones were cleaning Confederate Soldiers' graves in Columbus, Miss., placing flowers on them. They noticed nearby the Union Soldiers' graves dusty, overgrown with weeds.
"Grieving for their own fallen Soldiers, the Confederate women understood that the dead Union Soldiers buried nearby were the cherished loved ones of families and communities far away," Dorr said. "They cleared the tangled brush and mud from those graves as well as the own Soldiers' graves and laid flowers on them, too."
The official name was changed by federal law in 1967 to Memorial Day and was moved from May 30 to the last Monday of May in 1971.
Originally, General John Logan had chosen, May 30, because it was not the anniversary of a battle. But the name change seemed to have little effect on the squadron standing under the hot Iraqi sun, May 31, as they listened to Dorr.
"As members of a time-honored fraternity, we should commit to the following: first, that we will never forget or forsake our fallen or wounded warriors; second, that we understand that peace is a fragile thing that needs constant vigilance; and lastly, that we'll keep the peace by remaining strong yet compassionate towards the innocent, and by demonstrating to our adversaries that if called upon to do so, we will bring hell to their doorstep to defeat them at any time, any place around the world."
As the Soldiers prepared to kick off Memorial Day with a unit run, Dorr offered one last bit of encouragement.
"Be thankful for your blessings, and take care of one another. You are among the elite one percent of the American population that has taken an oath to server our nation. Be proud of that," Door said. "Rest soundly, fallen troopers. We carry your spirit forward."