MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. -- The School of Infantry-East aboard Camp Geiger, honored one of their fallen combat instructors by dedicating a new building in his memory during a ceremony, Oct. 15.
Ivy Hall was named after Staff Sgt. Kendall Ivy II, a combat instructor, mortar man, father and Marine. Ivy lost his life while serving in combat operations during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Among the audience was the Ivy family, which included his wife and four children. Maj. Gen. Carl B. Jensen, commanding general for Marine Corps Installations East and Brig. Gen. Michael M. Brogan, commanding general, of Training and Education Command based in Quantico Va., were also present.
“This building is significant for the School of Infantry-East and is in tribute to Staff Sergeant Ivy and all of our fallen combat instructors who have given their last full measure while leading Marines in harm’s way,” said Master Sgt. Shawn Dellinger, narrator for the ceremony. “Staff Sergeant Ivy epitomized the dedication and professionalism, which is considered the hallmark of our staff noncommissioned officer corps.”
Ivy was a combat instructor and had trained countless Marines, molding them from basic trained Marines into riflemen. After his tour in SOI-East, Ivy was called to serve as a combat replacement for 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, which was attached to 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 2.
On May 11, 2005, while conducting combat operations during Operation Matador in Karabilah, Iraq, Ivy’s amphibious assault vehicle ran over pressure-detonated improvised explosive device.
Col. Timothy Mundy, commanding officer for SOI-East and former commander of 3rd Bn., 2nd Marines, addressed Ivy’s family directly and praised the Marine who gave the ultimate sacrifice.
“When I tell you that today that we’re here to honor a fallen comrade, to many of us, this is not a reference to some abstract concept; we are really honoring a comrade that fell in our midst, leading his Marines,” said Mundy.
After the ribbon-cutting, Ivy’s wife expressed her appreciation for the building dedication.
“This was wonderful and totally unexpected,” she said. “It’s an honor to have a building named after him and to know that this will be here for years to come.”
The Ivy family spent a week at Camp Geiger and got to see what their father and husband did on a daily basis. Escorting them around was one of Ivy’s close friends, Staff Sgt. Arthur Abrego, the company gunnery sergeant for Company C, Infantry Training Battalion, SOI-East.
“He was firm, fair, held a high standard and expected his Marines to do the same,” said Abrego. “I can’t find a finer man that I would dedicate this building to.”