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Belvoir Celebrates Army Birthday/Flag Day
Posted by: Don Carr ()
Date: June 18, 2008 08:23PM

My thanks to Chuck Hagee at the Mount Vernon Gazette for an outstanding story in this week's issue.


Belvoir Celebrates Army Birthday/Flag Day

Child spots his father's picture in a new Army book

By Chuck Hagee, Gazette
Wednesday, June 18, 2008

They battled not only the best equipped and trained military machine in the world at the time but they did it in bone chilling cold and snow without proper clothing, weapons or housing at Valley Forge. They turned the tide of the Civil War at Gettysburg and saved the nation. Their lungs were seared with chlorine and mustard gas in the trenches of France during the "war to end all wars."
It didn't and they were volunteering again to "save the world for democracy" within a quarter of a century. They littered the beaches of Normandy with their blood and bodies and went on to crush the German military machine once again.

They fought under an international flag in Korea and remain to maintain the peace there today, more than a half century after the guns went silent. They suffered the stifling heat and tiger cages of Vietnam only to come home to a sharply divided nation.

Now they suffer the ravages of roadside bombs, suicide bombers, and some of the worst war inflicted injuries in their long and valiant history. More are coming home proportionately than in any of the previous conflicts but far more are also bring their lifelong scars of war with them -- visible and invisible.

It all began 233 years ago with a proclamation from the U.S. Congress officially establishing the U.S.Army. And the next year the 13 star flag, fashioned by Betsy Ross, became the official banner under which those upstart colonies that had formed themselves into a loosely allied federation fought the British juggernaut.

Last Thursday, June 12, in front of the headquarters building at Fort Belvoir, both the U.S. Army's 233rd birthday and the American flag's 232nd birthday were celebrated in a fashion that recognized both the strengths and sacrifices of the nation, its people and its defenders.
"America would not be the beacon of democracy if it were not for the men and women serving in today's Army. The legacy of the U.S.Army dates back to the formation of this nation. Let us renew our commitment to duty and to this nation," said Ft. Belvoir Installation Commander Col. Brian Lauritzen.

"Much of our success depends on keeping our people informed. Our
motto,"Army Strong," goes beyond physical strengthen. It goes to being strong spiritually and ethically," he told the crowd assembled on the headquarters lawn facing a phalanx of color guard wearing Army uniforms from the Revolutionary War to the present.
Prior to Lauritzen's remarks, Fort Belvoir Historian Gus Person gave a history of the American flag from the original 13 stars banner to today's 50 Stars and Stripes. First proposed by President Woodrow Wilson in 1916, the designation of June 14 as Flag Day was not approved by Congress until 1944 with the first celebration in 1945, Person explained.

"Both the Army and the flag personify our country," said Ft.Belvoir Public Information Officer Donald Carr, noting that the flag is on the right shoulder of every soldier's uniform.

In keeping with the event's theme, "America's Army -- Strength of the Nation," the original Congressional proclamation officially establishing the U.S. Army was read by Ft.Belvoir Soldier of the Year Specialist Joanna Montoya and NCO of the Quarter Brad Morrow. Deputy to the Installation Commander Jo Ann Banks lead the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance followed by Lauritzen formally administering a symbolic oath of service to attendees.

Following the formal ceremonies the entire crowd was treated to birthday cake and red,white and blue cup cakes compliments of the Ft. Belvoir Commissary. The cake was officially cut with a silver military saber wielded by Lauritzen, Montoya and Morrow.

PRIOR TO THE Army Birthday/Flag Day ceremonies, Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey, Jr., continued the tradition honoring Army families as part of the birthday recognition. As Lauritzen noted in his remarks, "Soldiers draw their strength from their families and now is the time to honor those families."

To that end Casey read the book "Happy Birthday Army," which explains various facets of the Army through the eyes of a child, to a group of children at Fort Belvoir's Markham School Age Services. During that event Casey received some unsought knowledge.

One element of the book refers to and pictures Army dogs and their handlers participating in various venues. As Casey was explaining about the Army dogs and showing the children a picture in the book of one such a handler, four year old Tristan Sharpe raised his hand and said, "My daddy is an Army dog handler" to which Casey responded, "That's nice," and moved on.

Following the reading Tristan asked if he could see the picture of the dog handler again because he thought the person looked familiar. Casey showed him the picture and Tristian exclaimed, "That's my daddy."

Sgt. Joshua Sharpe, 212th Military Police Detachment, Headquarters Battalion, Fort Belvoir, is presently deployed to Iraq with his dog Kira. Tristian's mother, Heather Sharpe, who was also at the children's event, said, "I had no idea my husband was in this book."

Casey gave the Sharpe family an autographed copy of the book that contains many photos, graphics and history of Army events and life. He also departed with a memory that he will long cherish.

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