3 memorials held to honor fallen soldiers

FORT LEWIS - From morning until late afternoon Tuesday, Fort Lewis said farewell to several of its soldiers.  Three memorial services were held to honor soldiers who gave their lives.

They're one army, but distinct and separate units.  So they chose to have separate memorials. But there is one common thread present for all of the memorials.

First Tuesday morning, the 4th Stryker Brigade gathered to remember three of their soldiers.

Sgt. Cory Endlich, killed by gunfire June 9th.

Sgt. Danny Soto, who leaves behind wife Vanessa and son Jonathan.

And Spec. Zachary Grass.  He and Soto were killed by a roadside bomb June 16th.

The sound of bagpipes playing Amazing Grace echoes through the chapel as it has for every memorial since the first one in the war on terror in 2002.

Seamus Neary and Suzanne Wolf were there on the bagpipes then and have been at nearly all memorials since.

"It's sad, but in a sense that there's a satisfaction that the pipes seem to provide a sort of a catharsis, a breaking point which seems bad, but is necessary for us," Neary said.

Neary has had a long history of doing this, having played for Pres. John F. Kennedy's funeral.

It was that kind of stirring moment that they provided for two fallen soldiers from the 5th Battalion, 5th Air Defense Artillery.

Cpl. Llythaniele Fender of the Spokane area.

And Cpl Meresebang Ngiraked from Palau.



Both were killed in a suicide bombing June 10th.

Wolf says Celtic folklore has it that bagpipes are the only instrument that can be heard from beyond the grave.

"Because when we play for these soldiers that's what I'm hoping is that they hear it and they know that the people who asked for the pipes are missing them," Wolf said.

And the husband and wife team were there at the 3rd memorial to honor Sgt First Class Christopher Henderson of the Special Troops Battalion who was killed in Afghanistan.  His wife Jennifer and step-daughter Kayley still live on post.