Army Base Reverses Course On Monthly Memorials
New York Times
July 26, 2007
Army Base Reverses Course On Monthly Memorials
By J. Michael Kennedy
SEATTLE, July 25 - The commanding general at Fort Lewis, Wash., the third-largest Army base in the nation, on Wednesday rescinded a plan calling for a once-a-month collective memorial service rather than individual ones for soldiers killed in action.
The decision came after weeks of rank-and-file anger that began when the collective funerals were announced in May.
At a news conference on Wednesday, Lt. Gen. Charles H. Jacoby, the base commander, said Fort Lewis would hold funerals every week if necessary, on Wednesdays. He said Wednesdays were chosen for logistical reasons.
"This is the right decision for Fort Lewis and the community," General Jacoby said.
Controversy erupted when the base announced in May that it would honor its dead in a single monthly ceremony because growing losses in Iraq had made individual services impractical. The announcement prompted protests by soldiers' families and veterans who said the policy was too impersonal and logistics-driven.
In mid-June, base officials said they were reconsidering the proposal, a delay that led to General Jacoby's announcement on Wednesday.
"He needed time to assess the issue and get feedback from community leaders," said Joseph Piek, a Fort Lewis spokesman.
Mr. Piek noted that a base memorial service was one of four times a soldier killed in action was honored. The others are during a ceremony by the soldier's unit; when the remains arrive at a hometown; and at the soldier's grave site.
There is no Army-wide policy for memorial services, with base commanders deciding what is appropriate. For instance, memorial services are held once a month at Fort Hood, Tex., while those at Fort Carson, Colo., are held every other Thursday.
July 26, 2007
Army Base Reverses Course On Monthly Memorials
By J. Michael Kennedy
SEATTLE, July 25 - The commanding general at Fort Lewis, Wash., the third-largest Army base in the nation, on Wednesday rescinded a plan calling for a once-a-month collective memorial service rather than individual ones for soldiers killed in action.
The decision came after weeks of rank-and-file anger that began when the collective funerals were announced in May.
At a news conference on Wednesday, Lt. Gen. Charles H. Jacoby, the base commander, said Fort Lewis would hold funerals every week if necessary, on Wednesdays. He said Wednesdays were chosen for logistical reasons.
"This is the right decision for Fort Lewis and the community," General Jacoby said.
Controversy erupted when the base announced in May that it would honor its dead in a single monthly ceremony because growing losses in Iraq had made individual services impractical. The announcement prompted protests by soldiers' families and veterans who said the policy was too impersonal and logistics-driven.
In mid-June, base officials said they were reconsidering the proposal, a delay that led to General Jacoby's announcement on Wednesday.
"He needed time to assess the issue and get feedback from community leaders," said Joseph Piek, a Fort Lewis spokesman.
Mr. Piek noted that a base memorial service was one of four times a soldier killed in action was honored. The others are during a ceremony by the soldier's unit; when the remains arrive at a hometown; and at the soldier's grave site.
There is no Army-wide policy for memorial services, with base commanders deciding what is appropriate. For instance, memorial services are held once a month at Fort Hood, Tex., while those at Fort Carson, Colo., are held every other Thursday.
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