thedrifter
05-21-08, 05:13 AM
Monument honors Alpha Company's fallen Marines
Posted by Chris Hecox May 19, 2008 12:35PM
Grand Rapids-based Alpha Company lost five Marines during a recent tour in Iraq's Anbar province as part of Operation Iraqi freedom.
A new memorial is designed to honor the fallen Marine Reservists--Sgt. Thomas M. Gilbert, Lance Cpl. Jonathan B. Thornsberry, Cpl. Jacob H. Neal, PFC Brett A. Witteveen, and PFC Bufford K. Vanslyke.
The Fallen Marine Memorial will be placed on city-owned property behind Alpha Company's headquarters, 1863 Monroe Ave. NW in Grand Rapids.
"We want to honor those who have fallen," said Maj. Dan Whisnant from Alpha Company.
Whisnant said each element of the monument was designed for a specific reason.
The monument will feature an oval design and a setting of five granite pillars, representing each fallen Marine, in a semi-circle.
This design was chosen to give visitors a sense they are "amongst the Marines," Whisnant said.
The pillars will be 6 feet 6 inches tall. At the top of each pillar will be a carving of the face of each Marine the pillars represent.
Whisnant said the pillars were designed so visitors would have to look up to see the Marine's faces.
Each pillar will include the individual's rank insignia and a place for the families to place whatever they wish into the granite.
The pillars all face the monument's centerpiece, which consists of three elements: the broken rubble and chaos of war, the final finished granite piece, and a battlefield cross.
The rubble represents what the Marines experienced in Iraq, while the finished granite represents the idea that a peaceful future comes at a price, Whisnant said.
The monument's battlefield cross depicts a rifle, a helmet and a set of boots.
Whisnant said Marines from Alpha Company erected a battlefield cross at the site of each fallen Marine's death while serving in Iraq.
A dedication ceremony for the monument will take place May 29 at 6 p.m. at the site of the memorial.
Ellie
Posted by Chris Hecox May 19, 2008 12:35PM
Grand Rapids-based Alpha Company lost five Marines during a recent tour in Iraq's Anbar province as part of Operation Iraqi freedom.
A new memorial is designed to honor the fallen Marine Reservists--Sgt. Thomas M. Gilbert, Lance Cpl. Jonathan B. Thornsberry, Cpl. Jacob H. Neal, PFC Brett A. Witteveen, and PFC Bufford K. Vanslyke.
The Fallen Marine Memorial will be placed on city-owned property behind Alpha Company's headquarters, 1863 Monroe Ave. NW in Grand Rapids.
"We want to honor those who have fallen," said Maj. Dan Whisnant from Alpha Company.
Whisnant said each element of the monument was designed for a specific reason.
The monument will feature an oval design and a setting of five granite pillars, representing each fallen Marine, in a semi-circle.
This design was chosen to give visitors a sense they are "amongst the Marines," Whisnant said.
The pillars will be 6 feet 6 inches tall. At the top of each pillar will be a carving of the face of each Marine the pillars represent.
Whisnant said the pillars were designed so visitors would have to look up to see the Marine's faces.
Each pillar will include the individual's rank insignia and a place for the families to place whatever they wish into the granite.
The pillars all face the monument's centerpiece, which consists of three elements: the broken rubble and chaos of war, the final finished granite piece, and a battlefield cross.
The rubble represents what the Marines experienced in Iraq, while the finished granite represents the idea that a peaceful future comes at a price, Whisnant said.
The monument's battlefield cross depicts a rifle, a helmet and a set of boots.
Whisnant said Marines from Alpha Company erected a battlefield cross at the site of each fallen Marine's death while serving in Iraq.
A dedication ceremony for the monument will take place May 29 at 6 p.m. at the site of the memorial.
Ellie