Soldiers to get own memorials

FORT LEWIS, Wash. – The commanding general of Fort Lewis’ I Corps said Wednesday that the Army base will continue holding individual memorials for fallen soldiers rather than switching to monthly ceremonies.

In May, Brig. Gen. William Troy, then-acting commanding general, sparked outrage when he announced Fort Lewis would begin holding one monthly service for soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Critics suggested mass memorials would deny soldiers the individual tributes they deserve.

Fort Lewis had traditionally held individual memorials, typically for one or two soldiers at a time. But a surge in casualties – 20 deaths in May alone – forced the base to start holding services for multiple soldiers at a time.

“As much as we would like to think otherwise, I am afraid that with the number of soldiers we now have in harm’s way, our losses will preclude us from continuing to do individual memorial ceremonies,” Troy said in a May 22 memo to commanders and staff.

But soon after taking over as commanding general in June, Lt. Gen. Charles H. Jacoby Jr. put the policy change on hold, saying he wanted time to discuss the matter with soldiers, their families, Army retirees and others in the community.

“I wanted to be very deliberate in my approach because this is an issue that is important to all of us,” Jacoby said during a meeting with reporters Wednesday.

Jacoby said Fort Lewis will hold all memorials on Wednesdays – a choice aimed at helping the community plan for the services and making it easier for faraway relatives to book affordable airplane tickets. He also noted Wednesdays would not likely conflict with holidays.

About 10,000 of Fort Lewis’ 28,000 soldiers are currently serving in Iraq, roughly 8,000 of them from the 3rd and 4th Stryker brigades.

The base has lost 141 soldiers in Iraq since the war started in March 2003 and nine in Afghanistan since that war began in October 2001, Fort Lewis spokesman Joe Hitt said on Wednesday.