Deployed Soldiers Remember Veterans, Past and Present
By: Command Sergeant Major Dana K. Johnson – Tikrit, Iraq
Like most Americans, Veterans Day was a special day for the Soldiers of Task Force ODIN. Task Force ODIN is a United States Army Aviation Battalion deployed to Iraq whose Command Sergeant Major is from Caribou, Maine. While Americans in the United States spent the day remembering our Nations past Veterans, the Soldiers in Task Force ODIN deployed to Tikrit, Iraq spent Sunday morning in a special ceremony remembering and honoring all veterans, past and present. Task Force ODIN did this by conducting a Veterans Day Remembrance and Combat Patch Ceremony. The ceremony was conducted, so that even though we are deployed we can pay our respects to all our Nations Veterans. The ceremony to honor our past veterans began at 10:50 AM with the unit falling in at the position of attention behind our unit colors and our American Flag. The ceremony was overseen by our Commander, Lieutenant Colonel James Cutting.
Task Force ODIN prepared for Veterans Day Ceremony. (Photo by SSG Gilbert)
The National Anthem was played to show our respect to the Nation, followed by an invocation given by our chaplain, Captain Nyhl Irvin. After the chaplains inspirational words, our narrator, Lieutenant Lewin Pierce described for the Soldiers the history of Veterans day, when Veterans Day began and what it has become today. At exactly 11:00 AM, the time and date that the Treaty of Versailles was signed to end World War I, the 400 Service members of Task Force ODIN came to attention and saluted our Nations past veterans while TAPS was played.
Task Force ODIN Soldiers render honor to our Nations Past Veterans. (Photo by SSG Gilbert)
After TAPs was played it was time to honor our Nations current Veterans. This was accomplished by awarding each Soldier of Task Force ODIN a 1st Infantry Division Combat Patch for wear on their right shoulders.
LTC Cutting awards from L-R CPT Colburn, and MAJ Buford their 1st Infantry Division Combat Patches. (Photo by: SSG Gilbert)
Now when these fine Soldiers meet each other the patch on their right shoulder indicates that they are a Veteran who has served in combat. What is significant about the 1ST Infantry Division patch is that, the 1ST Infantry Division traces its lineage all the way back to World War I, the very war that gave us Veterans Day. Every Soldier stood proudly as LTC Cutting awarded each Soldier their combat patch indicating that they had joined that special group of Americans that everyone is so proud of, the Combat Veteran.
The ceremony concluded with LTC Cutting addressing the assembled Soldiers of Task Force ODIN.