KABUL, Afghanistan — More than 100 U.S. and NATO troops gathered Saturday at NATO headquarters to mark what Resolute Support commander Gen. John W. Nicholson called “one of the most sacred traditions for Americans” — Memorial Day.
“One of the greatest strengths of our historic coalition of 41 nations is the opportunity to share and honor our respective traditions,” Nicholson said.
Memorial Day, which began as a tradition after the Civil War when groups decorated the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers, “offers us an opportunity to pay respect to our past, focus on the present and look forward to the future,” Nicholson said.
He said the ceremony not only honored all of America’s war dead, but especially “all of our fallen from this war,” including more than 2,300 U.S. servicemembers, 1,100 coalition members and 26,500 members of the Afghan security forces.