A Soldier with the 2nd Engineer Battalion, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division sets fire to his colors during the 69th annual Burning of the Colors ceremony, Dec. 5, 2019, on Bulldog field, Fort Bliss, Texas. The ceremony honors Soldiers lost during the Korean War Battle of Kunu-Ri, during which, battalion commander Lt. Col. Alarich Zacherle instructed his Soldiers to burn the battalion colors to prevent them from becoming a Chinese war trophy. (By Pfc. Autumn Rogers, 24th Theater Public Affairs Support Element)

3rd ABCT engineer battalion commemorates 69th Burning of the Colors ceremony

By Pfc. Autumn Rogers, 24th Theater Public Affairs Support Element

The mood was somber as the 2nd Brigade Engineer Battalion, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division’s unit colors were set alight on Bulldog Field, Fort Bliss, Texas, Dec. 5, 2019, in remembrance of the Soldiers who lost their lives during the Korean War Battle of Kunu-Ri.

This was the 69th anniversary of the burning of colors, a tradition that the 2nd BEB honors every year.

"We are here this evening to recognize the service of the battalion and its Soldiers in the most desperate times 69 years ago," said Lt. Col. Jeremiah J. Willis, commander of the 2nd BEB.

In late fall 1950, the 2nd BEB was attached to the 2nd Infantry Division. During the battle, the battalion was instructed to hold down Kunu-Ri, a small Korean town, defending the right and rear flanks of the retreating Eighth Army.

The engineer battalion was the only unit standing protecting the rear flank. The Chinese soldiers overran the ridgeline and U.S. troops withdrew.

"The battalion committed itself and fought to the end with courage, honor and determination to preserve the 2nd Engineer [Battalion] and its [Republic of Korea] allies," said Willis.

Realizing that they were being overrun by the Chinese, battalion commander Lt. Col. Alarich Zacherle ordered the men to burn the battalion colors so it would not be used as a Chinese trophy. The battalion reached friendly lines after 18 hours of combat.

Starting with 977 Soldiers, the battalion was down to only 266 by the end of the battle. The selfless service and sacrifice of the Soldiers who served with Zacherle stands as a patriotic reminder of honor, heroism, and making the ultimate sacrifice in dire times.

"Remember those who came before us; they were us and we are them,” Willis said. “We must remain steady to complete our assigned mission at a moment’s notice. We must remain focused on the awesome responsibility we have to each other, our families and our country; for we too may be asked one day to make a similar sacrifice."