4 minute read
The Battlefield Cross Ken Riege
The Battlefield Cross
By Ken Riege USAF 1985 - 1993
The Term “Battlefield Cross” or the “Fallen Soldier Battle Cross” or just “Battle Cross” first appeared during the time of the Civil War. Its purpose was to signify that a dead soldier was there and to be gathered and buried during a truce called for that purpose. During that time, those KIA (Killed in Action) were buried in graves in temporary cemeteries near the battlefields, identified by simple wooden plaques.
The configuration of the rifle pointed downward with a helmet placed on the rifle stock was a more common sight during WW1 and WW2. This still served as a marker so that the Graves Registration Service personnel could remove the body for burial. It also began to take on a new meaning as a memorial, and while it is called a cross, the memorial itself has no overt religious context.
During the Korean War, changes were made in the process of handling KIAs, and instead of interring the service members in temporary military cemeteries, they were removed to staging sites to be readied for burial. It was during this time, the Battlefield Cross Memorial took on more significance as a way to provide closure for the fallen service members comrades.
Below is a picture of the Battlefield Cross at the New Mexico Veterans Memorial in Albuquerque located just outside of Kirtland AFB. This was the inspiration for the Battlefield Cross located inside the lobby of the Comfort Suites.
Beginning with the Gulf War in 1991 (of which I am a veteran) and during Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, the latest version of the battlefield cross (rifle, helmet, boots, and dog tags) became the symbol of loss, of mourning, and closure for the living.
On the top right of the next page is a picture of the Battlefield Cross located as you enter the Comfort Suites in Gallup. Many of our guest and local veterans/family members have placed dog tags here to honor their fallen family member, battle buddies, or just to honor a military member. The Comfort Suites provides blank dog tags
Battlefield Cross at the New Mexico Veterans Memorial in Albuquerque located just outside of Kirtland AFB
to anyone wanting to honor a military person that either gave their lives for our freedom or served and survived, but have since passed on.
One story I would like to share about our Battlefield Cross at the Comfort Suites happened about three years ago. A veteran who served during the Vietnam War, but was stationed in Germany, told the story of himself and his two best friends growing up in a small town in Kansas. All three had been drafted, but because my guest already had a brother “in country” (military term used by those already in Vietnam), he was sent to Germany. Well sadly his two best friends who were sent to Vietnam were both KIA within a week of each other. As my guest placed a dog tag on our Battlefield Cross to honor each of his fallen “Brothers in Arms,” I rendered a proper military hand salute which is the best way to honor a fallen comrade. This was of course a very emotional time for him as his wife told me later that her husband hadn’t cried for his friends since their funeral. Later, we visited in the lobby and more “tears of healing” were shared by all.
In closing, I would like to share that veterans and our families are very emotional people. We are changed by our service in the military and thankful for the love and support of our families and community in helping us adjust back to as normal of a life as can be expected.
To quote the writer Mr. Joe Galloway (whom I have had the honor of meeting):
“We who have seen war, will never stop seeing it. In the silence of the night, we will always hear the screams.” - Joe Galloway
Battlefield Cross located as you enter the Comfort Suites in Gallup
This month’s Medal of Honor Quote comes from United States Army Colonel (retired) Jack Jacobs whose actions on 9 March 1968 earned him the Medal of Honor. Colonel Jacobs states, “Freedom is purchased with the lives of those magnificent people who value American liberty above all.”
All the amazing Medal of Honor Quotes can be found in the Medal of Honor “Quotes” book provided by the Center for American Values located in Pueblo, CO. Quality photography of interior/exterior commercial and residential properties, personal treasures, fine collectible art
