Special Operations Commemoration: Monuments, Memory & Memorialization Practices of Elite Organizations

Abstract

Abstract : The remembrance and memorialization of warriors has long been a significant element in many societies and cultures. One of history's earliest records of commemoration is from the Greeks during the Peloponnesian War. The forms and processes of remembering and memorializing have changed, and continue to do so. The United States also has a long tradition of paying special respect to those military members that have given the ultimate sacrifice, their lives, in the service of their county during times of hostilities. This thesis examines the history of military memorialization, but within a specific focus on unique segments of the military and select government agencies. It covers memorialization practices from the Greeks until present day focusing on elite military special operations units. It examines how these national mission forces (NMF) and civilian counterpart organizations have developed and sustained their memorial programs. As military operations in Iraq are now concluded and those in Afghanistan are coming to a close, this thesis seeks to move forward the effort to recognize those fallen warriors from those conflicts in meaningful and lasting ways.