Sniper monument dedicated near NIM

FORT BENNING, Ga., (Oct. 29, 2014) -- The Army Sniper Association, the U.S. Army Sniper Course, sniper veterans and other members of the tricommunity area came together Oct. 24 to officially dedicate a sniper monument on the Walk of Honor at the National Infantry Museum.

The monument depicts a sniper kneeling in tall grasses, and was dedicated to all fallen snipers.

"We must honor our fallen brothers with deeds," said retired Command Sgt. Maj. Bob Shalala, the event's guest speaker. "When we tire, we will remember their energy and fight that much harder. When we stumble, we will remember their strength and push past where others will quit. When we question, we will remember their resolve and stay true to the task. If we fail, we will pick ourselves up and try again because they did not fail us. This, I believe, is how we should remember and honor our fallen comrades - by constantly striving for excellence, always pushing forward and always being there when it counts the most. This is the challenge I leave to those who will follow. Your example is here. Live a life worthy of their sacrifice."

Retired Sgt. Maj. Lewis Worrell, the Army Sniper Association's president, said the most important quality for the monument was its distinctive design.

"The (monument) took many years of hard work and planning," Worrell said. "Artists submitted their renditions, and we selected based on uniqueness. As most of the snipers in our community, we wanted to stand out and be recognized. ... As you can see, the monument is extremely unique compared to all the other monuments we have along the Walk of Honor."

Worrell said the monument's existence was due in large part to major contributions from retirees, corporate donors and active-duty snipers.

However, in true sniper fashion, many of those contributors did not seek credit for their help.

"They don't seek, nor do they expect, any accolades," Worrell said. "They don't want you to put them in the spotlight. They'd rather stay in the shadows, do their job and have no one ever know that they were there.

"If they've done their job properly, that's the way it is. They protect all of our brother Soldiers from afar and all of our Infantrymen and all of our units know that when there's a sniper operating in the area, they've got somebody watching over them."