Spc. George Weber of the 76th Army Band plays taps at a memorial dedication ceremony for the fallen of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command, as Sgt. Jason Strickland, Maj. Gen. Yves Fontaine salute and Kaiserslautern mayor Susanne Wimmer-Leonhardt bows her head. (Michael Abrams / S&S)
Spc. George Weber of the 76th Army Band plays taps at a memorial dedication ceremony for the fallen of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command, as Sgt. Jason Strickland, Maj. Gen. Yves Fontaine salute and Kaiserslautern mayor Susanne Wimmer-Leonhardt bows her head. (Michael Abrams / S&S)
A soldier salutes during the playing of the national anthem at a memorial dedication ceremony for the 21st Theater Sustainment Command's fallen at Panzer Kaserne in Kaiserslautern, Germany, on Thursday. (Michael Abrams / S&S)
Sgt. Jason Strickland, Maj. Gen. Yves Fontaine and Kaiserslautern mayor Susanne Wimmer-Leonhardt, from right, stand in front of the newly dedicated memorial for the fallen of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command at the ceremony in Kaiserslautern. (Michael Abrams / S&S)
The U.S. flag flies at half-staff as sailors look on during a September 11 remembrance ceremony on the Naval Support Activity Naples base at Capodichino, Italy. (Lisa M. Novak / S&S)
Senior Chief Petty Officer Kenneth Keller (left) and Petty Officer 1st Class Guy Gregg, of the Naval Forces Europe Band, lay wreaths during a September 11 remembrance ceremony on the Naval Support Activity Naples base at Capodichino. (Lisa M. Novak / S&S)
U.S. servicemembers in Europe took time Thursday to remember those lost in the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks in the United States, as well as remember those who died overseas in the wars that followed.
On Sept. 11, terrorists hijacked airplanes and crashed them into the Pentagon and New York’s World Trade Center towers. Another hijacked airliner, United Airlines Flight 93, crashed in a Pennsylvania field.
A total of 2,992 people died in the attacks.
On Kaiserslautern’s Panzer Kaserne, soldiers read aloud the names of the more than 4,700 servicemembers who have died in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars since the attacks.
Later Thursday afternoon, the 21st Theater Sustainment Command dedicated a memorial to the 19 soldiers in the command who have fallen in the two wars.
"The youngest was 19," said Army Maj. Gen. Yves Fontaine, commander of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command. "The oldest was 43. They were military policemen, medics, explosive ordnance specialists, transportation specialists. They all died while performing their duty for our nation. By establishing this monument, we honor their service. We honor their lives. We honor their families."
The scores in attendance for the dedication ceremony then joined Fontaine in a moment of silence.
Present Thursday for the ceremony was Sgt. Jason Strickland, who was attending on behalf of the family of Spc. Matthew Murchison. Strickland was with Murchison on Aug. 4, 2007, when a shape charge struck their vehicle in Baghdad. Strickland, now with Mannheim’s 95th Military Police Battalion, suffered shrapnel wounds in the incident that took his battle buddy’s life.
"Matthew Murchison was my best friend," Strickland said. "We were roommates. We trained together. … It was a bad night, that night. I know he’s watching over me."
The memorial sits in a corner of the parade field at Panzer Kaserne, which is home to the 21st TSC headquarters. Made of granite and colored stone, the roughly 25-foot long memorial has the names of the 19 soldiers engraved on individual brass plates.
"Our nation has called on us to protect freedom and the American way of life, and we have answered that call," Fontaine said. "The young men and women whose names are listed here also answered the call and paid the ultimate sacrifice with their lives. It is a humble gesture that we make today to honor our fallen warriors with this memorial."
