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13th
Sustainment begins campaign for its memorial
By
Amanda Kim Stairrett
Fort Hood Herald
Posted on: Tuesday, September 30, 2008, 5:25 PM
The 4th
Infantry Division has memorials to honor its fallen. The 1st Cavalry
Division does, too. Now, Fort Hood’s third-largest unit is working
toward a memorial of its own.
A group of current and former soldiers from the
13th Sustainment Command jump
started the
13th COSCOM Association this summer in hopes of gathering new
members and raising funds for a memorial at Fort Hood.
The organization will soon establish a memorial committee and members
are set to commission a local company to design a rendition, said
retired Lt. Col. Kent S. Marquardt, association president.
“Then, we will start the memorial fund drive in earnest,” Marquardt
said.
The association hosted its first general membership meeting on Sept. 19,
bringing its membership to 71 individuals and 12 corporate sponsors.
The memorial is a special project for the
13th Sustainment and anybody associated with it, said Brig. Gen.
Paul Wentz,
13th Sustainment commander.
“Our soldiers, past and present, are most deserving of a memorial that
commemorates their sacrifices and successes since our activation in
September 1965,” he said.
Throughout history, the United States has created war memorials to
celebrate and commemorate great victories and to remember the heroes who
participated in them, Wentz said.
“Here in the
13th ESC, we have countless heroes,” he said.
Some of those are well known, like Staff Sgt. Keith Matthew “Matt”
Maupin, who after his fuel convoy came under attack near the Baghdad
Airport in 2004, became a prisoner of war. His remains were recovered
this March.
He was assigned to the Army Reserve’s 724th Transportation Company,
Bartonville, Ill., which was attached to the
13th Sustainment.
This illustrates the command’s unique nature. Unlike the 1st Cavalry or
4th Infantry did in the past, the
13th Sustainment does not deploy as one large unit. Soldiers
deploy in anything from detachment to brigade-sized elements and most
often attach to other units. When the command’s headquarters deployed
from 2004-2005 and from 2006-2007, it led a collection of Reserve,
National Guard and active-duty units from across the armed forces.
The
13th Sustainment is a hard animal for which to generate esprit de
corps, Marquardt said, because the unit is so diverse. It can be hard to
bring together, keep in touch with and get word out to all the units
that serve with it during deployments, he added.
Soldiers in or once attached to the
13th Sustainment deserve to be remembered and recognized for
their heroic contributions, Wentz said.
“They earned numerous valorous decorations and paid the ultimate
sacrifice in the process,” he said.
“This memorial is for the soldiers who have served with the
13th Sustainment Command. This is our way to remember the
soldiers and families who paid the ultimate sacrifice and to remind them
that we will never forget. Friends and families of our fallen will have
a place to come and remember their loved ones — a place of honor.”
Contact Amanda Kim Stairrett at
astair@kdhnews.com or call (254) 501-7547.
For more on the
13th COSCOM Association or to donate to the memorial fund, visit
www.13cca.org. Donations can also be sent to:
13th COSCOM Association; P.O. Box 5490; Fort Hood, TX 76544-0490.
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