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Have you ever seen a Battlefield Cross? They are one of the most heart-rending sights.

Sometimes it is known as the Battle cross, or the Fallen Soldier Battle cross.

The Battlefield Cross first came into use, it is believed, during the War Between the States. Comrades of the fallen soldiers began using their belongings to create a landmark to mark where the soldier’s body was. This served two purposes. First, it provided a marker to remember where the soldier had been buried. In the midst of war, it wasn’t practical for fallen soldiers to be given a proper burial with a headstone for the family to visit. But in marking the place where they fell, it also offered some hope that at some point after the war they would be able to give the family some sort of closure.

Over time and through the many wars our nation has experienced, the battlefield cross has taken on new meanings. During the World Wars and Korea, it was once again used to mark the places of mass graves, so that it was easier for the Graves Registration Units to find and identify them.

By Vietnam and the War on Terror it was no longer being used to actually mark the bodies of the fallen, but instead took on the powerful meaning of a memorial for the fallen soldier.

To this day it is a constant reminder of freedom’s price. Each piece of the cross holds a special symbolic significance.

The Rifle

When the rifle is placed in the ground, this signifies that the soldier was killed in battle, and fought to the end.

The Boots

Boots are what carry our soldiers through the fight for our freedom. The boots are placed at the base of the rifle. It signifies the soldier’s final march.

The Dog Tags

Hung from the rifle, are the soldier’s dog tags. Inscribed with his name and rank, this signifies that their memory will never be forgotten.

The Helmet

Finally, the helmet is placed in top of the rifle, signifying what the soldiers stood for, and that the battle is over.

In the words of Daniel Webster, “Let their remembrance be as lasting as the land they honored.”

A. M. Watson

Hebrews 13:8