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Honoring our heroes
The event was sponsored by the city of Jackson in conjunction with VFW Post 5355 and the Ladies Auxiliary, and included remarks by Gay DeWitt and city councilmen Robert Marks and Anthony Jackson. The colors were posted by members of the local Boy Scout troop. DeWitt led the Pledge of Allegiance and prayer was offered by Mark Lee. Fallen VFW members of the past year were honored with the pinning of flowers on a memorial wreath by Gene and Joe Mathews. Clint Harrell sang the National Anthem and played "Taps" on the trumpet. Col. Jerry Reeves was the featured speaker for the event. He began his speech by saying, "Before I begin this morning, I want to tell you some things about the youth of our country. The few that create most of the trouble end up on TV and on the news. But, let me tell you, we are blessed with the youth we have today. Many serve locally and in the military with very little recognition. The young soldiers of today are the ones that hold the line. As Americans we should be proud of our young Americans." Col. Reeves gave a history of the beginnings of Memorial Day, explaining that it was born of compassion and empathy in 1863 by the mothers, wives, daughters, sisters and other loved ones who had lost someone dear to them in the Civil War in which the country was entrenched. As they cleaned Confederate soldiers' graves in Columbus, Miss., placing flowers on them, they noticed Union soldiers' graves, dusty and overgrown with weeds. Realizing that the dead Union soldiers buried nearby were the cherished loved ones of families and communities far away, they cleared the tangled brush and mud from their graves as well as those of their own soldiers' and also laid flowers on them. Soon the tradition of a "Decoration Day" for the graves of fallen soldiers spread. On May 5, 1866, when the Civil War was over, Henry Wells of Waterloo, N.Y., closed his drugstore and suggested that all other shops in town close up for the day to honor all soldiers, both Union and Confederate, killed during the Civil War. Sixteen years later, this gesture of healing and reconciliation, became official as the first national Memorial Day was observed. The day was set aside to remember and honor the sacrifice of those who died in all our nation's wars. "We are here today because we respect the memory of those who committed to being part of something larger than themselves by joining the military, whether for a short tour of duty or for a decadeslong career in uniform," Reeves told those in attendance at Monday's ceremony. "We honor the memory of those who not only answered the call to arms, but who were willing to risk everything, even death, to defend America and its interests." Reeves went on to recognize soldiers who served in all wars and conflicts since the American Civil War. "As we meet here to remember and honor the heroes of the past, it is also a time to think about tomorrow," he said. "Our country is fighting the Global War on Terror today, but what does the future hold? How can we continue to find the high-quality individuals who are willing to answer the call to duty and put their boots on the ground? We don't need to look far. We find them in the young private first class, loaded down with an 80-pound rucksack, about to board a plane which will head across an ocean into the heart of the War on Terror. His chin is still held high, his eyes have that look of determination and he is confident that all of his training has prepared him to carry out the mission ahead. He heads into battle riding on the legacy of America's Army."
Reeves encouraged everyone to recognize the sacrifice of the 3,400 who have given their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan and to pay tribute to the 78 men and women from Alabama who have died in the current war in the Middle East. "Let us make a personal commitment to do two things in the coming weeks," he said, "to visit the gravesites of fallen soldiers and silently thank them for their service and to reach out and shake the hand of a soldier, whether it's someone in uniform standing in line at the grocery checkout, or a veteran standing along a parade route saluting Old Glory as she passes by. Tell them you understand the depths of their commitment and are in awe of their bravery. Tell them, simply, 'thanks.' In this way we will take the spirit of Memorial Day beyond the boundaries of just one day on the calendar."
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