Fallen soldiers honored
Published 12:00 am Monday, May 26, 2003
It was a solemn gathering with a special purpose.
Approximately 80 people gathered Sunday afternoon to honor those American service men and women who answered the call of freedom and paid the ultimate price for it. The Woodland Cemetery Service is one of several observances planned throughout the area during the Memorial Day weekend.
One of two speakers for the service, Christine Taylor, president of the Ohio VFW Ladies Auxiliary, said some people tend to forget that the purpose of Memorial Day is to remember those who gave their lives for their country.
"Memorial Day is not just a long weekend that is the start of summer," Taylor said. "Since the founding of our country, more than a million people have forfeited their lives to keep the beacon of freedom burning brightly on our shores."
Cliff Bower, judge advocate for the Ohio VFW, said Memorial Day is not a celebration of military conflicts, but a noble nod to those who fought in them.
"Our intent today is not to speak of the glory of battle, but to reflect on the person behind the deed. They held true to the values on which our country was founded.
They were brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, mothers and fathers," Bower said. "Some were rich, some were very poor. They were of every race, creed and color and were from every corner of our great nation."
Bower said he hopes that adults would explain to children what Memorial Day means and why it is important to keep the memory of fallen soldiers alive by honoring them this way.
"May their sacrifices inspire us and fill us with hope," Bower said.
Before giving the benediction, the Rev. Chad Pemberton pointed to how many of the area's veterans have served, and how proud he was to have known some of them.
"Don't ever feel as though you're not somebody, because you are," Pemberton said.
Members of the VFW Post 8850 provided the color guard and a military salute for the occasion and the Singing Kernals provided patriotic musical selections. The master of ceremonies for the service was Lawrence County Common Pleas Judge Frank McCown.
At the conclusion, Green High School senior Ryan Bond played "Taps." Bond will join the United States Marine Corps upon graduation. After basic training, he will attend the U.S. Armed Forces School of Music, and will then become a member of a Marine Corps band.