FORT SILL, Okla., April 28, 2016 -- A tree re-planting ceremony took place in honor of Chief Warrant Officer 2 Dwayne Moore at the south entrance of I-SEE-O Hall (Building 3040) of Fort Sill, April 19.
Moore was the Counter Battery Radar Team leader for 2nd Battalion, 15 Field Artillery, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division. Moore was killed by a 107mm rocket attack on his Q-36 Radar position in Mahmudiayah, Iraq, April 19, 2007.
"The project came together and executed smoothly because (Warrant Officer Basic Course) class 007-16 were equally honored to go the extra mile," said Warrant Officer David Wahlers, 428th Field Artillery Brigade. "It wouldn't have been as successful without the unabridged team effort of each student in this class. My classmates and I look forward to coming back in a few years for (Warrant Office Advanced Course) training and paying our respects to the memorial. We vouched to add something, it may be small but it'll be something."
The memorial site also included a landscaped bed of flowers around a brick-paved based, mounted by a memorial bench and plaque.
The first memorial tree was planted by a previous WOAC class in March of 2010. For unknown reasons, the memorial died and was removed from the site. A collaborated effort to revitalize Moore's memorial site consisted of donations from WOBC classes 08-15, 924-16, and 007-16.
Wahlers was the master of ceremonies and did much of the coordination to bring the re-dedication to fruition.
The red oak was carefully selected as it is symbolic of Moore's character. The red symbolizes his affiliation and dedication to the Field Artillery branch. Wahlers said the oak tree itself will grow, strengthen, and develop much like what Moore's legacy will do for the Warrant Officer Cohort and Field Artillery.
"For the hundreds of years that this tree stands, let it represent our fallen brother CW2 Dwayne Moore," said Wahlers during his dedication speech.
A second phase of the ceremony was a dedication of a bench donated by Thomas Bellinger radar maintenance instructor WOAC, WOBC who instructed Moore years ago.
"It was an honor to donate the bench and be a part of the dedication ceremony," said Bellinger.
The draped bench was unveiled by Warrant Officers Michael Horrace and Gilberto Fuentes of the 007-16 WOBC class. Every member of the class played some role in the execution of the ceremony.
Visitors are encouraged and welcome to the memorial outside I-SEE-O Hall anytime and visit the memorial inside during normal business hours.
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