April 1, 2022 - VFW Post 8904 and the Auxiliary honored Veterans of Somalia with a wreath laying at the Veterans Memorial on the grounds of the 1885 Historic Courthouse on Thursday, March 31, 2022.
Post Quartermaster Larry Hume stated, "Americans consider themselves to be a compassionate people, and the United States military has a long tradition of humanitarian relief operations both within and outside the continental United States, but never has this humanitarian impulse proven more dangerous to follow than in 1992 when the United States intervened to arrest the famine in the midst of an ongoing civil war in the East African country of Somalia."
Hume continued, “Ultimately hundreds of thousands were saved, but unintended involvement in Somalian civil strife cost the lives of 30 American Soldiers, four Marines, and eight Air Force personnel during the years of 1992 to 1994. The American military has established the conditions for peace in the midst of a famine and civil war but unlike later in Bosnia, the factions were not exhausted in the fighting and were not yet willing to stop killing each other and anyone caught in the middle. There was no peace to keep and the United States withdrew all military combat troops in March of 1994.
“The American G.I. had as always done their best under difficult circumstances to perform a complex, and often confusing task, but the best military in the world can only lay the foundation for peace; they cannot create peace itself."
In honor of the Veterans who served in Somalia, Past Post Commander Mike Langford placed the the memorial wreath. Taps was then sounded as presented by VFW Post Commander Gene Hutto in honor of those lost in Somalia and those who served and survived, but have since passed.
