Habbaniya War Cemetery Restoration 2005/6
- Steve Buster Johnson
- 7 hours ago
- 1 min read
The complete restoration of the Habbaniya War Cemetery by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission that was completed in 2019 has been well publicised but not many people would be aware of an earlier major reconstruction project carried out on the long abandoned cemetery in 2005 / 2006 by members of the US-led Multi-National force that was stationed in Iraq. In mid 2005, the former RAF Habbaniya base in Iraq - then operating as Camp Habbaniya - was actively used as a forward operating base by U.S. forces, part of what was then also termed as the Coalition Forces. Primarily consisting of US and British troops, the men and women worked alongside the new Iraqi Army. Beyond combat operations, U.S. service members stationed around Habbaniya also participated in local community outreach and site restoration, notably when coalition personnel led by members of the US Marine Corps, US Army and US Air Force endeavoured to clean up and restore the long abandoned historic British Habbaniya War Cemetery in late 2005 and 2006.
Twenty years on, I was recently contacted by Major Phillip Rehn USMC (ret) who had spent a 'memorable time' with the Coalition Forces in the Habbaniya area between 2006 and 2010. Major Rehn had discovered my website and showed interest in the current photographs I had included of the cemetery and the 290 headstones. Looking through the Habbaniya Association photographic archives I found many photographs of that time, many showing the enormity of the work undertaken by US troops in restoring the Habbaniya Cemetery. I have attached a few photographs to this post but have withheld names for obvious reasons.
Habbaniya WAR Cemetery - Restoration by the US Army, USMC and USAF during 2005 and 2006 Habbaniya WAR Cemetery - Restoration by the US Army, USMC and USAF during 2005 and 2006 Habbaniya WAR Cemetery - Restoration by the US Army, USMC and USAF during 2005 and 2006 Habbaniya WAR Cemetery - Restoration by the US Army, USMC and USAF during 2005 and 2006 Habbaniya WAR Cemetery - Restoration by the US Army, USMC and USAF during 2005 and 2006 Habbaniya WAR Cemetery - Restoration by the US Army, USMC and USAF during 2005 and 2006 Habbaniya WAR Cemetery - Restoration by the US Army, USMC and USAF during 2005 and 2006 The Great Cross at the Habbaniya War Cemetery 2006 Commemoration service at Habbaniya War Cemetery 2006
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