THOMASVILLE — As Memorial Day approaches, more and more people will notice the many black silhouette memorials depicting a soldier kneeling before a helmet-topped rifle stuck in the ground. It is a tribute to soldiers killed in battle, but what is the symbolism behind the elements depicted?

“It is a symbol of loss, a symbol of closure for the surviving soldiers as they honor their comrades who sacrificed their lives for their country,” retired U.S. Army Major Larry Owen said.

“It has always been a part of the military, but today it is reaching the community as people understand the connection between the battlefield cross and remembering those lost,” he explained.

Every year, Owen and many other veterans and volunteers visit each of the many cemeteries in southwest Georgia and place flags on veterans’ graves. The flags are symbols of Memorial Day. More and more, the battlefield cross or silhouette is becoming a part of the ceremony, too. At Sunset Memorial Gardens, boots are placed under the flag pole as part of the remembrance.

According to Kathleen Golden, an associate curator in the Division of Armed Forces History, the first appearance of the “battlefield cross” is a matter of conjecture. It might have started during the Civil War to signify a dead soldier who needed to be gathered and buried during a truce called for that purpose. Soldier dead were buried in graves in temporary cemeteries near the battlefields, identified by simple wooden plaques.

After the Civil War, Dedication Day was celebrated with the placing of flowers at the battlefields.

During World Wars I and II, the configuration of the rifle pointed downward with a helmet perched on the stock acted as marker so that Graves Registration Service personnel could remove bodies from the battlefield for burial. It also began to serve as a memorial.

Owen said World War I fallen soldiers were carried to the rear lines and buried in nearby overseas cemeteries. The same is true of World War II and soldiers would often visit those gravesites for closure.

During the Korean War, Golden said changes were made to the process of handling the dead. Instead of interring the soldiers in temporary military cemeteries, they were removed to staging sites to be readied for shipment to Japan and ultimately home.

“The battlefield cross memorial probably took on more significance during this time, as a way to provide closure for the fallen soldier’s comrades,” she said.

Owen, a Korean and Vietnam War veteran, said when a soldier was killed in Vietnam, the rifle would be stuck upside down in the jungle floor so his body could be recovered. The bodies would then be evacuated by helicopters.

“After each battle, the unit would have a memorial service for those lost. As a symbol for each soldier lost, a weapon would be placed in sand bags and they would hang his dog tags on it,” he explained. “Each soldier would come forward and either kneel or touch the helmet. It was a symbol of closure.”

Owen said, “I have even seen battlefield crosses at the (Vietnam) Wall (Memorial in Washington D.C.). Veterans place it in front of certain sections to mark their unit.”

Golden said, “Beginning with the Gulf War in 1991 and during Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, the latest version of the battlefield cross: rifle, helmet, boots and dog tags, has become the symbol of loss, of mourning and closure for the living.”

She said, “Interpretations vary regarding the meaning of the components and how they are placed. The rifle facing downward means the soldier was killed in action; a rifle with a bayonet stuck in the ground tells us the soldier went down fighting. It’s not hard to interpret the placement of the boots or the presence of the dog tags: the soldier has marched the final march to battle, and he will never be forgotten.”

Owen said the modern battlefield cross symbolizes each modern war, with the pair of boots for soldiers from Afghanistan and Iraq; the rifle, a carbine, symbolizes World War II and Korea. The helmet symbolizes World War II, Korea and Vietnam.

“It connects those lost with their buddies and memorializes their sacrifice,” Owen said.

Owen said he thinks the battlefield cross really caught on with the public after the 2002 Fort Hood massacre in Texas when the 1st Calvary commander put pictures up with the battlefield cross. Many mourners left mementos at the base of the battlefield cross.

Like the battlefield cross, the silhouette statue has gained great popularity. Owen said the silhouette is black, which represents loss and mourning. It also shows the weapon and the soldier kneeling in prayer.

Many times, the silhouette is placed at the base of a flag pole, tying in with Memorial Day. Flowers are often placed, too, tying in with Dedication Day.

Memorial Day services in Thomasville are scheduled for 11 a.m. Monday at Sunset Memorial Gardens. Owen and volunteers will place flags on veterans graves in Thomasville on Saturday and Sunday.

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