The Legion honours the last Spanish fallen soldier in Iraq

• Personnel from the contingent deployed in Baghdad travelled to Besmayah to prepare the monolith of soldier Aarón Vidal López

Personnel from the Spanish contingent deployed in Baghdad travelled to Besmayah to prepare the monolith of soldier Aarón Vidal López, who died on September 8, 2016 during his first mission abroad.

The soldier died because of an unfortunate accident between his Lince vehicle and a cistern truck at the entrance to the "Gran Capitan" Base in Besmayah. He was part of the Light Armoured Cavalry Regiment "Lusitania" No. 8, where he was appreciated and respected by officers and colleagues.

The mission at the Besmayah Base, 40 km from Baghdad, ended on July 24, 2020. Currently, the closest Spanish personnel to that location are at the Union III Base, in Baghdad. The members of the current rotation, A/I XVI, are based at the Melilla General Command, and specifically the Force Protection is made up of personnel from the Tercio "Gran Capitán" 1^st of the Legion.

The legionnaires have refurbished the monolith in tribute to soldier Vidal, thus honouring the memory of our soldier and comrade.

The original plaque was replaced by a new one, in which his Unit’s emblem and an inscription in Arabic stand out, so that every Iraqi who passes through the area knows of the Spanish soldier who fell far from his homeland to help them fight DAESH.

Finally, the recovered plaque will be sent to Spain to place it in a place of honour as it deserves, where former colleagues from the "Lusitania" Regiment, as well as his friends and family, can be closer.

With this tribute, the legionnaires have once again asserted one of the spirits of their “Credo”: fellowship, which entails never leaving a man in the field until they all die. It also serves as a tribute to the sacrifice of the soldier Vidal, as well as that of his family, friends, and colleagues.