(This article originally ran in the June 7, 2012, issue of The Mountaineer.)
FORT DRUM, N.Y. -- To honor Spartan Soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice during the last 10 years of conflict in Afghanistan and Iraq, the 3rd Brigade Combat Team officially unveiled the Spartan Statue during a ceremony May 30 in Fort Drum's Memorial Park.
Spartan Soldiers past and present, 10th Mountain Division (LI) leaders and dignitaries from the North Country sat silently as members of the 10th Mountain Division Band played from within the tree line.
Crafting the idea for the statue started in 2005, shortly after 3rd BCT's formation a year earlier, when the brigade's first commander originated plans for a monument built to honor the unit's fallen.
"On the (unit's) first deployment to Afghanistan ... our first brigade commander, now Maj. Gen. John Nicholson, committed the Spartan Brigade to building a monument for our fallen Soldiers," said Col. Patrick D. Frank, 3rd BCT commander. "Col. David Haight continued this focus, along with the tremendous efforts of our Spartan Association president, Jeff Long."
Retired Lt. Col. Jeffrey Long, former 3rd BCT executive officer, reflected on the statue's meanings.
"Spartan warriors have chased terrorists over steep mountains and arid plains of Afghanistan and lured out insurgents in the urban landscapes of Iraq," he said. "They have done our nation proud. Today, we remember and honor the brave Spartans who have made the ultimate sacrifice."
Raising nearly $6,000 in funds for the statue -- an ancient Greek warrior, spear in hand -- Spartans ensured their comrades would not be forgotten.
"At their core, the Spartan BCT Soldiers in formation believe in the enduring battlefield vow to never leave a fallen comrade," Frank said.
"These are the Soldiers (who) defeated insurgents in the highly successful 'To the River' operation, pushing the Taliban out of their historic staging areas," Frank said. "They are the American warriors (who) fought side by side with their Afghan partners."
"Each of these Soldiers was more to us than infantrymen, cavalry scouts or sappers; they were our brothers," Frank continued. "At no time was this more apparent than out on the battlefield as patrols from across Zhari and Maiwand districts arrived at the helicopter pick-up zones to render a final salute.
"This Spartan Memorial now provides a similar place of honor, only now in the peaceful North Country far from Afghanistan where 3rd BCT Soldiers can visit and reflect on the loss of our fellow Spartan Soldiers. The bonds of brotherhood that we will remember at this site are a lasting tribute to each of the fallen."
Frank championed the Families of the fallen -- Gold Star Families -- who shoulder a bigger burden with the loss of their loved ones in combat. Their sacrifices were just as noteworthy as those of their Soldiers.
"The Spartan BCT Gold Star Families have been profiles of courage for those of us in uniform, shouldering the burden of our combat operations and courageously supporting our demanding missions and this unit," Frank said.
"These Army Families have had an honored role in our brigade's history and will not be forgotten," he continued. "On this day, we remember that we live in a free nation because of the brave American Soldiers who have confronted our enemies. We all believe in a cause larger than our self -- our nation."
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