The Armored Forces Monument

J ’ Army Chief of Staff General Gordon R. Sullivan and Mrs. Creighton Abrams admire the centerpiece of the Armored Forces Monument they unveiled moments before.

Remarks at the Dedication the enemies of the United States of America, and against the enemies of November 11,1991 General Gordon R. Sullivan, Army Chief of Staff Mr. Ambassador, Comrades, General Streeter, and fellow soldiers. I’m glad that you are with us today. It’san honor for me to be here with you today, to share in this moment with you. We pause on this important day - an important day for America, a significant day for us - to dedicate in this very simple ceremony, a monument lovingly brought to reality by people standing here, to recognize soldiers and Marines who went into battle in armored vehicles against tiful granite tells the story of countless thousands who call themselves armored warriors. You can see the symbolism: our service seals - United States Army, United States Marine Corps; the maps of our campaigns - World War I, World War 11, Europe, the Mediterranean, North Africa, the Pacific, Korea, Vietnam, and the Persian Gulf. The emblems and numbers of our units are proudly etched in the granite. Our heritage is displayed on the vertical wall, reaching back into time, commemorating the ideas of a visionary, General Chaffee, who so perceptively and eloquently stated the essence and the power of armored forces: “A balanced team of combat arms and services of equal importance and equal prestige.” ARMOR - November-December 7991 33

Above, the color guard for the dedication ceremony was from the 3rd U. S. Infantry, “The Old Guard.” Right, General Sullivan presents a memento of the occasion to the Kuwaiti Ambassador to the United States, Shaikh Saud Nasir AISabah.

However, this great monument on this hallowed ground is not a monument to numbers or things. This is a monument which symbolizes the courage of a select few soldiers who climbed into vehicles of steel, giving life to the ideas of the Chaffees, the Devers, and the Pattons. This monument memorializes the self-sacrifice of thousands of nameless, faceless people who risked all to serve as armored warriors. We may not remember their names, but they are not unknown to us. These men and women - yes, women - served in units not for personal gain, but because their nation called. This monument recognizes them and you, for your sacrifices for democracy, the dignity of your fellow man, and the principles for which this nation stands: “We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights: that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” United under our colors, red, white and blue - the national colors - we answered the call as a balanced team of mounted warriors, forging a concept of war that delivers decisive victory. We banded together, as this circle binds us now - into crews, platoons, and units famous for their courage, their daring, and their selfless service. Reflect on this bond, with these words from one wanior to his soldiers before battle - Henry V before Agincourt: ‘From this day to the ending of the world, we in it shall be remembered - we few, we happy few, we band of brothers, for he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother.” Our flag, our triangular patch, these units, our circle of brotherhood represents our fight for freedom in this century. In the 18th Century, we secured our own freedom. In the 20th Century, we served others. We served around the world. This monument chronicles those terrible, but necessary battles: St. Mihiel, Normandy, the Rhine, Italy, Casablanca, Okinawa, Tarawa, Pusan, the Naktong River Line, Cambodia, Ap Bac, Thon Son Nhut, Bien Hua, Khafji, Safwan, Wadi al Batin, Basrah. 34 ARMOR -

General Sullivan delivers the dedication address. Seated, left to right, are MG Thomas C. Foley, Chief of Armor; Shaikh Saud Nasir AI-Sabah, Kuwaiti Ambassador; Mrs. Creighton Abrams; MG William F. Streeter, commander, Military District of Washington; and Chaplain

(BG) Donald W. Shea, deputy chief of chaplains, U. S. A. Victory in the Cold War, the seminal event of our lifetimes, was also a result of people who were willing to serve as armored soldiers and persevere in a lonely war of nerves for the last 46 years. This stone memo-rializes Grafenwoehr, Hohenfels, Butzbach, the Fulda Gap, the National Training Center and the crumbling of the Berlin Wall. This circle symbolizes that we have done our battle duties, sacrificed ourselves, and return to this hallowed ground. Today we consecrate this small plot of earth to the soldiers and Marines who had the courage to mount those steeds of steel, to protect an idea - democracy - and to free others from oppression. Each of us recalls names from the past - Patton, Eisenhower, Abrams, Leach, Knowlton, Otis, Starry, Palmer, Tait, Funk, Griffith, Franks, and countless others. You can name them. They’re in our memories. We know them, loved them, we fought with them, we laughed with them, and we shared in the joys of service to this great republic. Mrs. Abrams will unveil this monument. She represents a great link with the past, but she also represents our wives and children who served wth us, loved us, and supported us. This monument is to all of them, and to you - to those who serve today, and to those who follow. We will add to this monument someday. The additions are unknown to me. I can’t predict them. I cannot draw the battle maps. But I know clearly that those who follow will serve with distinction and courage and honor -just as you served with courage and honor. God bless them, God bless this monument, and God bless you. God bless all who call themselves armored soldiers and Marines. Thank you. ARMOR - November-December 7997 35

IASMNSlW D. C. The 99th Congress approved Public Law 99-620 on November 6, 1986, authorizing the establishment of a memorial to honor the American Armored Forces. “The memorial shall commemorate the exceptional professionalism of the members of the American Armored Force and their efSorts to maintain peace worldwide.” 36 ARMOR - The Monument The monument to the Armored Forces of the United States Army and United States Marine Corps past, present, and future was dedicated on November 11, 1991, near the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Drive (“The Avenue of Heroes”). The monument is a memorial to all Army and Marine tankers, cavalrymen, and tank destroyers who fought in the mechanized wars of the 20th Century - from WWI to Operation DESERT STORM. Designed by distinguished military memorial architect Harold Schaller, the oval-shaped monument is 40 feet wide and 30 feep deep, encompassed by a three-foot wall of fme-grained Vermont granite. On the wall is engraved historical text, campaign maps and the units that fought in each of the five wars depicted. The highlight of the monument is a magnificently cawed centerpiece of Nubian black granite eight feet tall and 10 feet wide on which is depicted the evolution of the U. S. Armored Forces. (Some of the original art was executed by contributing artists, SFC Robert Torsrud and SPC Jody Harmon.) Sponsoring Associations U. S. Armor Association U. S. Field Artillery Association U. S. Marine Corps Association Veterans of Foreign Wars The Military Order of the World Wars Association of the United States Army Armored Cavalry Regiments Armored Division Associations Council of Armored Divisions The American Legion Noncommissioned Officers Association American Historical Foundation National Association of Uniformed Services The Rakkasans Separate Tank Battalion Associations Separate Cavalry Squadron Associations Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge World Wars Tank Corps Military Order of the Purple Heart Tank Destroyer Associations