Duke Brigade lives Veterans Day

By COL. CHRISTOPHER TONER
Commander,
3rd Bde. Combat Team

November is a special month for many Americans. Plans for Thanksgiving celebrations take shape as the month marches on, providing wonderful opportunities to gather with friends and Families to enjoy good food and lasting memories. But for me the more relevant holiday is Veterans Day, not only because of its greater impact on our American way of life and government, but also for its continued meaning on our mission in eastern Afghanistan.
What actually began as Armistice Day was originally designed to recognize all World War I vets before it was expanded to include all vets (and hence renamed) in 1954. The original Armistice Day marked the official cessation of hostilities between the Allies of WWI and Germany. The agreement, signed at Compiègne, France, consequently went into effect on the “eleventh hour, of the eleventh day, of the eleventh month” in 1918.
Now known as Veterans Day, this important national observance shares a special history with our 1st Infantry Division, the very first U.S. division designated in WWI. Since the Great War, the Big Red One has found itself in combat on many more Veterans Days, building a historic legacy of battlefield exploits. Each time was unique, certainly, and the valor and fortitude of those BRO Soldiers who preceded us continues to provide inspiration today.
After four years of unspeakable bloodshed on battlefields across Europe that finally ended on November 11, 1918, the Big Red One could boast through its inaugural campaign a significant list of contributions toward making things “All quiet on the western front.” It was only a quarter-century later that BRO Soldiers were hammering away on Adolf Hitler’s Western Wall, speeding his timely demise and the end of the second World War. And from the jungles of Vietnam and swirling sands of Operation Desert Storm, to Macedonia and a return to Iraq, the 1st ID answered whenever America called. The Duke Brigade, no doubt, has been a big part of that legacy.
As designated ambassadors for the 1st Division in this part of the world, we as Duke Soldiers now find ourselves in eastern Afghanistan for the second time this century battling the enemies of freedom. As with all previous BRO deployments, TF Duke Soldiers have done what was expected of them when it was expected. We have taken the fight to the Taliban, the Haqqani network and countless other criminals who bring only sorrow, death, and destruction to the Afghan people. Our Soldier’s bravery and their willingness to meet these challenges head-on is awe inspiring as evident by the 126 Purple Hearts awarded to date. What the Dukes have done here in furthering the Big Red One legacy will inspire others not just on this Veterans holiday, but for decades to come.
Finally, it’s with great sadness that we acknowledge the death of three Soldiers from Task Force Duke: Spc. Michael Elm of Co. A, 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment; and Pfc. Sarina Butcher and Spc. Christopher Gailey, both of Co. F, 1-279 Infantry Battalion (Oklahoma Army National Guard). These brave Soldiers truly sacrificed everything to preserve our freedoms and those of the Afghan people. Our thoughts and prayers go out to their loved ones in this very difficult time.