NBA Players Pay Tribute to Fallen Service Members at Arlington National Cemetery

Strategic Insights -

As part of the "Commitment to Service" partnership between the NBA and the Department of Defense, the Houston Rockets visited Arlington National Cemetery on March 28, 2015, to pay tribute to the fallen service members interred there. The team members, including Head Coach Kevin McHale, met with an Army widow, Jane Horton, and laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, expressing gratitude and respect for the sacrifices made by service members.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Houston Rockets visited Arlington National Cemetery on March 28, 2015, as part of the "Commitment to Service" partnership between the NBA and the Department of Defense.
  • The team members met with Jane Horton, a widow whose husband, Army National Guard sniper Spc. Chris Horton, was killed in action in Afghanistan on September 9, 2011.
  • Horton led the team members to her husband's gravesite and the Memorial Amphitheater, sharing the significance of the setting and the sacrifices made by service members.
  • Rockets Head Coach Kevin McHale, shooting guard James Harden, and center Dwight Howard participated in the wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
  • Defensie Secretary Ash Carter met with the team members at the Pentagon, discussing the partnership and its commitment to service.
  • The team members expressed their gratitude and respect for the sacrifices made by service members, with James Harden describing his participation as "an amazing experience" and an honor.
  • The visit highlighted the significance of the changing of the guard ritual, ensuring the tomb is guarded 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, in any weather.

Statistics:

  • 2,215 service members were killed in Afghanistan (Horton, 2015)
  • 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is guarded (Army Maj. Gen. Buchanan, 2015)
  • 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) is headquartered at Fort Myer, Virginia (Army Maj. Gen. Buchanan, 2015)

Sources:

  • DoD News Release (March 28, 2015)
  • U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Clydell Kinchen (DoD photo)