Remember the sacrifice

With the 76th Army Band playing, the color guard marching and the 50 state flags waving, Soldiers from 21st Theater Sustainment Command were in formation May 22 for more than a safety briefing prior to the four-day weekend.

“We are conducting the age-old ritual of the retreat ceremony; second, we are observing the annual commemoration of Memorial Day; and third, we are honoring three Soldiers who have devoted the majority of their adult years to serving this great nation,” said Maj. Gen. Yves J. Fontaine, commander, 21st TSC.

***image1***Some people get Memorial Day confused with Veterans Day, which is to honor all veterans.

“Memorial Day is a sacred day of remembrance for all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice while in service to our country,” said General Fontaine. “All of us who have been deployed have experienced that loss.”

The concept for a day to honor those killed in war arose from the ashes of the Civil War. A group of Southern women visited the cemetery in Columbus, Miss., to decorate the graves of the sons and fathers who had died serving the Confederacy.

 When they were done, they saw that nearby Union graves were unattended, drab and forgotten. These ladies could not bring themselves to ignore the graves of the fallen Northern men. Carefully, they decorated the Union graves until there was nothing to distinguish them from those of the Confederates.

A New York Tribune correspondent witnessed the act and reported it. The story, picked up in papers throughout the nation, inspired Gen. John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, the Union’s veteran organization, to direct in 1868 that May 30 be a day “for decorating the graves of the comrades who died in defense of their country and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village or hamlet churchyard in the land.”    

General Logan picked late May because of the abundance of flowers, symbols of renewal and life’s beauty, at this time of year. Memorial Day was formally established in 1882.

“We are also here to honor three great warriors who have given the last 20-plus years in dedicated service to this great nation – Maj. Judd Reynolds, Master Sgt. Tyrone Hendrix and Sgt. 1st Class Demetric Malone – you have lived the Army values of loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage,” said General Fontaine.

“You have been exceptional leaders, supportive mentors, and devoted friends. I sincerely thank you for your service.”

Major Reynolds retires with 21 years of service. As an aviation officer, he is qualified on Hueys and Black Hawks. For the last two years he’s been working in 21st TSC’s Support Operations, where he tracked all aviation maintenance in Europe.  He deployed to Desert Shield/Desert Storm with 3/227 Aviation Regiment from Hanau as the Assistant S-3. He went back to Kuwait in 1991 for Operation Positive Force where he was a detachment commander for 7/227 Aviation Regiment.

And, in 2002, he went to Operation Enduring Freedom where he was the CJTF 180 chief of aviation for all of Afghanistan.

Sergeant Hendrix also retires with 21 years of service.  He is a 63Z, mechanical maintenance supervisor and has been assigned to the 21st TSC for the past three years. In support of the Global War on Terrorism, he deployed to Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom I with the 101st Airborne Division – Air Assault. While assigned to 1st Armor Division, he deployed to support OEF II and III. 

He also deployed from Fort Bragg to Haiti in support of Operation Uphold Democracy. He served as a recruiter and station commander in the Los Angeles Recruiting Battalion and held numerous leadership positions. 

Sergeant Malone retires with 22 years of service. He is a 63X,

maintenance supervisor but for the last year, he’s been the senior

operations NCO for the Medical Transit Detachment.

He served in Desert Shield/Desert Storm as a maintenance chief with the 47th Support Battalion, 1st Armor Division. He deployed again to Operation Iraqi Freedom as a platoon sergeant with 19th CMMC, 3rd COSCOM. He earned the honor of New Recruiter of the Year and Recruiter of the Year in Southern California Recruiting Battalion.

(Courtesy of 21st TSC Public Affairs)