Many of you may have already noticed the POW/MIA table and chair has been relocated in the bar area of the Post where it is far more visible. You may have also noticed a new stand with a pair of combat boots, weapon, dog tags, and helmet displayed next to it. This is the new Post 58 Fallen Soldier Memorial.
Its purpose is to show honor and respect for the dead at a battle site. This practice started during the American Civil War or maybe earlier, as a means of identifying the bodies on the battleground before they were removed. Today, it is an immediate means of showing respect for the dead among the still living members of the troop. It might be seen in the field or base camp after the battle in Afghanistan or Iraq. Used less today as a means to identify the dead but more as a private ceremony among those still living to mourn, because attending a funeral is not always possible, for soldiers still in the fight.
Post 58 would like to thank ALR’s Lee Norman, John Weedo, Neil Lyons, Dutch Gottschalk, and Robert Jaworski who developed the idea and saw it through to completion. The Memorial was dedicated on May 7, 2016.