American Legion Post #105 and the Patrick County Veterans Memorial Honor Guard held a Twilight Memorial Day service at the Alice DeHart Park Pavilion in Stuart on Monday, May 28.
Honor Guard Commander Clyde Thomas said the ceremony was held to honor service members and remember their sacrifices, achievements, courage, and dedication and to say, ‘thank you.’
“These service members that we honor today came from all walks of life, but they share several fundamental qualities. They possessed courage, pride, determination, and dedication to duty. All the qualities needed to serve a cause greater than one’s self,” he said.
Thomas said Memorial Day is a sacred time as people remember their brothers and sisters in arms who are no longer with them.
“They are the thousands who fell on the battlefields of Europe, the Pacific, Korea, and Vietnam. Others, more recently, gave their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan in the global war on terrorism,” he said.
However, Thomas noted that still more returned home to live out their lives in the country for which they fought unselfishly.
“They have passed on, but on Memorial Day we pause by each of their gravestones to salute their military service too,” he said. “This Memorial Day, we are honoring the nation’s men and women currently serving in uniform, past veterans, and above all, those who made the supreme sacrifice for liberty here and around the world.”
Retired Navy Capt. Ray Clark, guest speaker, said U.S. military installations around the world, national cemeteries, U.S. embassies, cities, and towns will hold Memorial Day ceremonies.
He said there are different historical accounts of the first Memorial Day, with some stating the first honor was held in 1866 in Georgia to honor the Sons of the Confederacy.
“An ugly time in our national history, but ultimately ensuring freedom of all no matter their race or color,” he said.
“On the 30 of May 1886, Memorial Day was proclaimed by General J.A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) in Waterloo for those that served the Civil War up to World War I. It was observed for all that fell previously in the nation’s conflicts,” he said.
In 1968, Clark said Congress changed Memorial Day to be the last Monday in May “as with three others to create a three-day weekend for all federal employees.” This took effect in 1971.
Clark said Memorial Day ceremonies are a solemn recognition of all the men and women who give their all in combat services to the nation’s calling. He added the most notable ceremony is held at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington, which was dedicated on November 11, 1921.
“It was dedicated to the unknown lost from World War I, for which the remains of one soldier were entombed in the memorial. Later, two others were laid to rest there. The army has a dedicated team looking for unmarked graves for our service members who have not been identified and returned, mainly in Southeast Asia,” he said.
Retired Army Lt. Col. Douglas Dunlap discussed D-Day and Honor Guard member Rochard Cox gave a history on the POW/MIA Remembrance Chair. Honor Guard member John Reynolds read out the list of funerals the Honor Guard participated in last year.
Jackie Belcher sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “Name on a Wall.” Honor Guard Chaplain Harless Belcher performed the opening prayer, and Thomas also read “Arlington” by Trace Adkins.
