Remembering the Fallen

Marines Pay Respects With Warrior Ethos

Memorials of boots against inverted rifles, draped with dog tags and topped with Kevlar helmets are among the most common tributes paid to military personal when they die in combat.

In many cases, however, these solemn memorials are just the beginning of the homages paid to these fallen warriors. Each unit has a different way of honoring and coping with their losses and ensuring their brothers and sisters are not forgotten. Some tributes are large. Some are small. All honor people who were more than Marines to those who knew them.

II Marine Expeditionary Force named its new compound "Camp Farrar" in honor of Sgt. Andrew K. Farrar, Jr., who was killed Jan. 28 in Iraq's Al Anbar province. Farrar, who was with 2nd Military Police Battalion, turned 31 the day he was killed.

Photo by Sgt. Christi Prickett

Sign of Respect

Outside a compound within Camp Fallujah, Iraq, home of II Marine Expeditionary Force, stands a newly painted sign bearing the words "Camp Farrar." The camp was recently renamed after Sgt. Andrew K. Farrar Jr., who was killed in action in the Al Anbar Province on Jan. 28, 2005. Units often rename their camps after the area of operations or as an honor to a hero in their service.

The military police officer's death was a tragedy for his unit, A Company, 2nd Military Police Battalion, and even more so for his family. Farrar was killed on his 31st birthday.

The Weymouth, Mass., native left behind a wife and two children. He also left a lasting impression on his fellow Marines.

"I think about Andrew everyday," said Sgt. Jonathan Bates, an accident investigator stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, S.C. "He taught me that Marines want to be led, and that it's my job to step up and lead them."

Farrar's impact on Bates went beyond the ranks. "I had the privilege of calling him my friend," he said.

As the clinking of thousands of dog tags draped over the Marine Memorial atop Mount Suribachi mixes melodically with the sound of the tropical breeze, Cpl. John A. Knowles, Combat Service Support Detachment 36, contributes his dog tags to the memorial. "We brought our Marines here because Iwo Jima is a vital part of Marine Corps' history. It was a monumental battle where we displayed our bravery, valor and willingness to win," said Staff Sgt. Sherrina A. Thomas, CSSD-36 logistics chief. Military members that visit Mt. Suribachi pay their respects to those who died on the island by leaving their rank insignia or dog tags.

Photo by: Lance Cpl. Mark A. Fayloga

Closing Emotional Wounds

In another effort to honor and cope with the passing of Marines, large ceremonies are held to grieve over the fallen and to reflect on the Marines' lives. Entire communities and family members are invited to large remembrances where they get inside views on what type of person their loved one was.

Staff Sgt. William F. Hornsby served in Iraq with 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment as a scout sniper platoon sergeant and assistant operations chief. He and about 200 others recently took part in a ceremony at Marine Corps Base Hawaii to honor 1/3's fallen.

Marines are often deployed for long stretches of time. This not only leaves a void in the community, but can also make the Marines strangers to their families, said Hornsby. Ceremonies allow families to meet people who knew their loved ones and were with them before their deaths. This gives them insight to who they were.

"They see the man that their Marine was," said Hornsby, a Pensacola, Fla., native. "They get a sense of closure."

The family also sees the bonds their Marines had with their brothers and sisters.

"They witness the 'band of brothers,' that we talk about and brag about," said Hornsby.

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