Army Officer Adam Scher Honors 3 Fallen Servicemembers in Memorial Day Reflection
Updated
Updated · War On The Rocks · May 25
Army Officer Adam Scher Honors 3 Fallen Servicemembers in Memorial Day Reflection
1 articles · Updated · War On The Rocks · May 25
Adam Scher used Memorial Day to recount the deaths of three U.S. soldiers he served with—Andrew Kemple, Tracy Alger and David Scott Robinson—arguing remembrance should focus on individual lives, not abstract sacrifice.
Kemple, 23, was killed by small-arms fire in Tikrit in 2006; Scher said protests at his funeral pushed him to urge legal protections for military funerals while preserving free speech.
Alger, 30, died in a 2007 IED strike in Iraq, and Scher described how her unit had to absorb the loss while immediately reorganizing personnel and supplies for the next mission.
Robinson, 25, was killed in a 2010 vehicle rollover on Afghanistan's Highway 1, a death Scher said underscored the burden commanders carry when reasonable wartime decisions still end in tragedy.
The essay ties those losses to current deployments, saying Memorial Day also honors today's servicemembers still operating in dangerous conditions across the Middle East and beyond.
Beyond honoring sacrifice, how is the military tackling mental health trauma for soldiers who survive?
After a mission's withdrawal, how is the meaning of a soldier's ultimate sacrifice redefined?
How will lessons from past wars shape troop safety in the new Western Hemisphere Command?