Memorial to 2nd Brigade Combat Team in Baumholder, Germany
Pictures and text by Amber Belcher
This small memorial is dedicated to the men of the 1st Armored Division, 2nd Brigade Combat Team who lost their lives in Iraq during that unit's 2003-2004 deployment. It was dedicated on September 10, 2004. These pictures were taken on 4 October 2008. The memorial lies at the base of the garrison flag pole, in a place of honor on the installation.
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This photo shows the site of the memorial. The Garrison flag pole is present and the memorial lays just to the right of it. |
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This is a closer view of the whole memorial. A small path leads away from the base flag pole and opens into a tiny courtyard-like area in which the memorial is situated. In this area, there are benches on either side of the memorial. |
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This is the front, or "reader" side of the pedestal. The 1st AD unit emblem is very colorful and dominates the memorial. |
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This is the open "book" on which the chosen quotes are inscribed. You can see from the how difficult it is to read them. They do not stand out when the stone is wet or when it is dry. The left hand "page" is a quote from Dwight Eisenhower that reads "History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the week or timid." On the right hand "page" is a statement composed by the community of the Baumholder Military Community that reads "In remembrance of the soldiers of the Baumholder Military Community who gave their lives so that others may live in a peaceful, secure and free world." |
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This photo shows the flower urns that surround the pedestal. There are four in all and they are regularly filled with flowers to honor the soldiers this site is dedicated to. |
