He was a proud member of the US Army, and he was I Troop, 3rd Squadron, 11th ACR platoon leader and XO from 1971 to 1974. He then went on to Knox and Ft. Hood. Leading up to Desert Storm, he used skills he had learned in 3rd Squadron as he volunteered as a civilian to help load the divisions from Fort Hood onto railcars. The Army then brought him back on active duty so he could offload the vehicles when they arrived in the Middle East. After offloading, he led teams pre-positioning supplies in the desert leading up to the attack; he then was promoted to Major.
Brook leaves behind his daughter Sarah, son Ryan, daughter-in-law Shaobei, and his granddaughter Jenai. He also leaves behind his life-long friend Carolynn Newman, brother David, sisters Jane Moehlman (wife of Michael) and Mary Poole (wife of Gene), nephew Toby, nieces Jamey Poole and Laurie Morrison, and many friends and extended family. There was a graveside funeral service at Ft. Sam Houston National Cemetery April 5th at 9:45 a.m.
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From My Point of View
As I watch from wherever I am, I wonder. “Am I remembered?”
You see, a long time ago I was asked, ordered, or volunteered to go somewhere and do my best for my family, my neighbors, my community, state, and nation. I felt pride in going. I often questioned the need, but my goal was to be where I was needed and to do what needed to be done.
Little did I know I would not come home.
I have many brothers and sisters in arms beside me today who often ask the same question. “Am I remembered?”
Does anyone think of my time just before I was killed? Was I cold and wet or miserably hot? Was I alone in death or did my comrades die with me? How young or old was I? Did I have a dog? A brother or sister? Where was I from? Who is hurting in their heart for my loss?
You see, I am more than just letters on a gravestone. I was somebody with family and a life before I died. I was Billy, or Sue, or Edward or Emily. I was alive.
I ask myself “Am I remembered?”. I want to be remembered for whom I was as a person, appreciated for my service, and recognized as humbly giving my life so that those at home did not have to. I want to be remembered as the proud person I was while serving our nation. I ask those who knew and loved me to grieve; but in your grief, know I chose my path happily and proudly and most likely would do it all over again. For you all.
I ask myself “Am I remembered?”. And not just on the fourth Monday in May each year, but each day every year. You see, I am dead every day from now on.
In my asking this question, I also ask to each of you as you go through your daily life. Whatever you did today, good or bad, was it worth dying for? Every day, someone on active duty dies wherever they are stationed. It may be from combat, a car accident in a country overseas, or an illness or infection from the desolate areas in which we sometimes serve. No matter the cause of death, an active duty person dies most every day serving this nation.
As you lay your head on your pillow, can you say what you did was worth dying for? If you can, I rest easy as should you.
Don’t wait till Memorial Day or Veterans Day to remember us. When you see our nation’s flag, we are a stitch in it. When you see the fireworks on the 4th of July, we are a sparkle in the sky. When you speak in a public place without fear, we hold the door open so you can. As you read this today, we are in the letters of each word. When you say, I am an old babbling fool for writing this, you can say it without fear because of those who died giving you the right to your opinion.
So, I will say to you for all of them. Yell it out if you can, but throughout the year whisper to the wind: “Yes, we remember you. Thank you for giving us all of your tomorrows so we may have our todays.”
Bill Mahon
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history of the East-West German border. Click the link at the end to see the presentation. It is well worth a look.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Attached you will find the result of an extraordinary transatlantic history project realized with Lakeshore High School in Stevensville, Michigan and Modellschule Obersberg in Bad Hersfeld. The new project concept is based on group contacts via WhatsApp and Skype.
I had the honor to kick-start and accompany the project. Students on both sides of the Atlantic researched OP Alpha, the border, the Cold War, as well as the Fulda Gap; and it produced an outstanding interactive presentation. (In the presentation, there are many embedded links.)
Thanks to all who helped to make that successful project happen. Above all, thanks to the Hessian State Center for Civic Education in Wiesbaden, which is represented by my colleague Mathias Friedel; the teachers Amy Perkins, Ju?rgen Relke, Ru?diger Maibaum, Gerd Sigl; their students; as well as Wood Powell from TOP Washington.
Please use your computer or laptop for best display.
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Two photos are shown below. The first one is an overview of a memorial walkway near the OCS barracks at Fort Benning; the second is a close-up of a new plaque at the monument to the Blackhorse.
The plaque was initiated by retired infantry LTC Steve Hesler. Steve is known by Blackhorse veterans Chris Yuknis (1/11 commander in late 80s) and Bill Hansen (C troop commander in Vietnam and Fulda trooper in the 70s), and he was able to get Lockheed Martin Corporation to sponsor the plaque. It was installed a couple of weeks ago.
A big Blackhorse thank you to LTC Hesler and Lockheed Martin for their thoughtfulness and generosity.
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A Book of Interest
Rob Butler, former XO of Anvil Troop, 1/11, has written a book entitled Border Duty; it is a fictional account of events based on his experiences on the German Inter-Zonal Border. The story includes lots of places and events that will be familiar to anyone who served on the border.
The book can be ordered through Amazon at:
