Posted on 08/08/2007 5:40:33 PM PDT by SandRat
CAMP HABBANIYAH, Iraq, Aug. 8, 2007 — There is an unofficial rule for Marines that says to always leave a place in better condition than when they found it. With that goal in mind, Marines from Headquarters and Service Company, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 6, gathered in formation in the early morning hours of one of their last days in Iraq. Their task wasn’t any normal working party or police call, but one that brought them to hallowed ground. Their mission was to clean and restore the British Royal Air Force Cemetery at Camp Habbaniyah.
“Once again I’m amazed at what happens when a few Marines put their backs into something. Just like we’ve done the whole time we’ve been here, we put a little heart and soul into everything we’ve done and made a difference.”
Lt. Col. James F. McGrath, battalion commander.
“We spent seven months here and we’re living a part of history,” said Lt. Col. James F. McGrath, 41, from Laurel, Md. “We’re sitting in a place that has history that dates all the way back to World War I. I thought it fitting that the Marines get over there and recognize what kind of history they are part of. I thought by getting over there they would be able to see those headstones and it would be embedded in their minds where they could end up. Plus it was a good thing to do in terms of just helping the area out, making it look better and trying to get it to return to normal.”
The cemetery is one of the more potent reminders of the history of the base, which was created in 1927 by a treaty between Iraq and Britain. The base was the site of a pivotal battle in World War II that kept allied oil supplies out of German hands in May 1941. The base last flew the British flag in 1959, but the remains of 289 Britons and Polish servicemembers are still buried here.
The cemetery was neglected and abused in the years that followed the departure of British forces. After the invasion in 2003, the camp was occupied by Coalition Forces. Since then, there have been several cleanup projects by Army and Air Force personnel stationed at Habbaniyah, with the most
recent one taking place in September 2006. After the most recent clean sweep, however, the cemetery again needed some caretaking.
With the rising sun on the horizon, the Marines began the solemn business at hand. Weeds were removed, trash was picked up and fallen gravestones were gently placed back in their places.
“Once again I’m amazed at what happens when a few Marines put their backs into something,” said McGrath, the battalion commander. “Just like we’ve done the whole time we’ve been here, we put a little heart and soul into everything we’ve done and made a difference.”
In just a couple hours of hard work the task was completed and the cemetery was transformed into a place worthy to pay respect to the men and women buried there. The joy of completing the project was mixed with sober thoughts as the reality sunk in.
“It gives you a sense of pride helping out and making things look better,” said Cpl. Jeffrey T. Hall, 21, from Eaton, Ohio.
Many Marines took a last lap around the graveyard, surveying their work, and reading the headstones of those who lay there. One epitaph summed up what many were thinking as they looked upon the resting places of those who gave their lives for freedom: “He answered willingly the call and he who gives himself gives all.”
Marines from Headquarters and Service Company, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, reseat the tombstone of a British citizen while cleaning and restoring the Royal Air Force Cemetery, near Camp Habbaniyah, Iraq. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Christopher Zahn
Caring for Brother Warriors from Wars Past.
That brought tears to my eyes. Thanks for posting this.
men who chose the warrior code respect the men who also chose that path.
It made my mascara run, and then every muscle in my body tense because I am reading it here and not hearing about it in the msm.
“...transformed into a place worthy to pay respect to the men and women buried there.”
Did we get a touch of PC in there to make the Gods at HQMC (the ones persecuting Marines in California?) happy?
Pro-German Iraqi forces attacked and laid siege to the base. Air support was provided by the Germans with the cooperation of the French authorities in Lebanon. A relief force from TransJordan lifted the siege; the force then moved on to depose the pro-German government and install a friendlier regime.
As the grandson of a British soldier who lies in Chungkai cemetary Thailand alongside the River Kwai, thank you Marines, thank you very much.
Regards
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