The grave marker in the front row of Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery looks like almost every other marker in that precise arrangement on the grassy burial ground, but for Sikhs, it is one of a kind. Under that gray-white headstone lies Sgt. Uday Singh, the first U.S. soldier of the Sikh faith killed in the war in Iraq. A group of three dozen Sikh people from the area came yesterday morning to honor the first anniversary of the 21-year-old Army gunner's death in Iraq with a modest service, and just as important, to remind the rest of the world that Sikhs are Americans. ...
The youths at the ceremony wore the typical trappings of U.S. teenagers -- Old Navy fleece jackets and designer boots. But they carried their heritage as well, leading their parents and fellow churchgoers in a centuries-old battle cry that Sikhs yelled when fighting Moguls who were trying to forcibly convert everyone to Islam. "Whoever replies to this chant . . . " the children shouted in the Punjabi language. "Let them be victorious!" the adults responded. |