Memorial Day, a day set aside to honor and remember the men and women of our armed forces who never came home, was observed here Monday morning, May 25.
At separate programs at Park Cemetery and, later, at West Cedar Valley/St. Boniface cemeteries, families gathered to remember their loved ones.
On a sun-splashed morning with Park Community Church in the background, speaker Paige Ringhoff once again gave an address reminding everyone how the day was meant to be a time of ‘reflection, gratitude and remembrance.’
It was originally known as Decoration Day due to flags, wreaths and flowers being placed on the graves of soldiers.
It has another meaning, she said. “Decoration refers to military awards, medals and ribbons. There are over one hundred military awards or decorations … The one thing all of the men and women we are here honoring today having in common is one decoration – the Purple Heart.
She went on to describe how the Purple Heart is awarded to any service member who is wounded or killed in limited instances. John F. Kennedy, she said, is the only president to have ever been awarded the Purple Heart.
Aside from Purple Heart recipients, Ringhoff said there are thousands more who gave their lives – paid the ultimate sacrifice for their country and their comrades.
She then repeated the words of Kennedy who said, “A nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces but also by the men it honors.”
“To honor means to show or demonstrate respect. And that is why we gathered here this morning – why we place flowers, wreaths and flags on graves – why we salute the victorious dead – to physically demonstrate the respect we have for those men and women.
“Today is not about the parties or the parades, the BBQs or the boats. It’s about thousands of lives given to a cause greater than themselves. Thousands of flag-draped caskets. Thousands of purple ribbons pinned to empty uniforms.”
The program, put on by American Legion and VFW Posts and their auxiliaries shifted to Elgin for the 11 a.m. program.
The Elgin High School band, under the direction of Eric Heithoff again performed patriotic music including The Star Spangled Banner before Antelope County Sheriff Robert Moore addressed the gathering.
He spoke of brothers and sisters laid to rest in cemeteries, having served in wars and military conflicts throughout our history.
“To all those who helped pay the price, we owe a great debt of gratitude,” he said. “For many of us, your sacrifice has not been forgotten … We must never forget this hallowed ground we stand on the soldiers that made it that way.”
Speaking of how some have defaced war memorials, Moore spoke about how most agree it’s a crime to believe that they know the problem and how to solve it. “But I think there are too many who do not recognize the problem for what it is.
“The problem is not money or anything money can buy, the problem is not education, although we can look at how history is being taught. The problem is not entertainment … we have lost the spirit of 1776. Our lawmakers in the past gave their life for freedom. They lost everything they owned, were separated from life and youth, but stayed in fighting for the freedom they believed in.
“The problem is that America has become largely a secular society, proclaiming secular values. America demonstrates very little spiritual values.
“The midwest states are still recognized with a strong focus on moral and spiritual values, but we need to guard our hearts … The spirit of 1776 is losing its luster.”
“Jesus took a stand for us so long ago, and we have to take a stand for him today, we have been warned in the Gospels that Jesus said that the time was going to come when the love for Him would grow cold by many.”
He closed by saying, “We cannot allow our church congregations to continue to grow less and less … Let’s let the wealth of Jesus grow in our hearts and cause our community to be one that shines in this world … I simply encourage people, if you’re walking with Jesus, continue today. Continue the good fight … you may find yourself on the adventure of a lifetime.”
