48th Fighter Wing Honor Guard answers 'The Call'

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. Lyndsey Horn
  • 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
EDINBURGH, Scotland --  The 48th Fighter Wing Honor Guard participated in the 79th Scottish American Memorial Day Service at the East Prince Charles Street Gardens May 27.

The five member team joined representatives of the U.S. and Scottish governments as well as the British Armed Forces and Royal British Legion to pay tribute to those who sacrificed their lives in war.

"We are here to honor the Scottish-Americans that volunteered to fight in World War I in the Scottish Regiments," said Staff Sgt. Aaron Campbell, 48th FW Honor Guard team leader.

Put on by the English-Speaking Union Scotland, the service takes place at "The Call" monument. The statue, depicting a seated kilted Scot soldier "calling to arms" the Scottish population, was erected in 1927 to commemorate the 100,000 Scotsmen who lost their lives during the Great War. Americans funded the statue and it continues to symbolize the close ties between the two countries.

"It's important to hold these [events] and remember what we've been doing for so long," said British Army 2nd Lt. Reay Clarke, 6 SCOTS, A Company platoon commander. "It is easy to forget."

The ceremony included a short religious service, a wreath-laying, and ended with the playing of the U.S. and U.K. national anthems.

"This is another way to pay tribute to those who came before us. We honor not just Americans, but everyone who fought in World War I," said Campbell.

Though the Liberty Wing's Honor Guard has supported the event for more than 10 years, because of budget constraints, this is the first year the group's members paid for their travel with personal funds.

Answering their own "call," the team members took it upon themselves to drive north and represent all of the U.S. Armed Forces.

"We all had that determination," said Campbell. "I tried to encourage the other guys to participate. It's a once in a lifetime type thing."