Posted on 11/13/2006 4:03:17 PM PST by SandRat
11/12/2006 - LONDON (AFPN) -- The Royal Air Force Habbaniya Association honored Air Force Capt. Jutta Cortes by obtaining "exceptional permission" for her to march in the annual Remembrance Day Parade near the Cenotaph in London.
Captain Cortes earned the honor after she responded to a special request from the association's honorary secretary, Dr. Christopher Morris.
Last year, Dr. Morris read an article in an American military publication about Captain Cortes' unit training Iraqi police forces at what used to be RAF Habbaniya. After a few weeks of research, Dr. Morris contacted Captain Cortes requesting that she perform a traditional British remembrance ceremony at the cemetery on the old RAF base. Captain Cortes readily agreed.
Captain Cortes accepted the charge to perform the ceremony prior to seeing the cemetery, but later decided it would be unacceptable to perform such an honored ceremony in the cemetery's current condition. She enlisted the help of some co-workers and at least 40 Iraqi volunteers, and together spruced up the cemetery.
The volunteers then performed the ceremony to the specifications Dr. Morris provided with a few exceptions. "We kind of mixed two cultures into one for the ceremony," Captain Cortes explained. A twenty-one gun salute was added, which is an American tradition.
Dr. Morris said that he "knew that American forces would understand what we asked them to perform, a wreath laying in the cemetery," when he decided to contact Captain Cortes. He added that the Association's members were a bit emotional about the fact that a ceremony was held in the cemetery to honor their friends after 47 years.
Habbaniya is situated on the banks of the Euphrates River, 60 miles from Baghdad. There are 289 British and commonwealth servicemen and civilians, including women and children who still lie buried in the RAF cemetery at Habbaniya. Of these, 257 are from World War II.
Honoring Allies and Friends
Hats of to you ma'am.
Are those aircrew wings peaking out from the lapel?
Truly Brothers and Sisters in Arms.
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