Thank you Commandant and thank you distinguished guests and ladies and gentleman for attending today’s memorial service.
I feel deeply honored by Commandant Bill Craig’s invitation to speak today. It is my pleasure to stand before you as a Veteran, as your Mayor and as a patriotic American citizen.
In 1863,President Abraham Lincoln was asked to deliver a “message” at the dedication of the Gettysburg, Pa civil war cemetery. The featured speaker was Edward Everett, a former Dean of Harvard University and a famous speaker of that time. Mr. Everett spoke for two hours! Then, President Lincoln gave his message that we now know as the Gettysburg Address. That now famous speech contained only 272 words and and took two minutes to deliver!
Today, I will attempt to follow President Lincolns example of brevity!
After the Civil War, a group of survivors, their families and friends began a tradition of using flowers to decorate the graves of those soldiers who died in battle. In 1868, they formally adopted the name of Decoration Day and that tradition continued through other wars to become what we now know as Memorial Day. The date of May 30 was chosen because that’s when the flowers bloom. In 1971, We declared Memorial Day a national holiday.
We set aside this day to pay solemn tribute to the more than one million men and women who have died in military service since the civil war began in 1861.
In Pickens County, we can add many family names to that honor roll of Heroes. World war 1, Family names of Barrett, Brooks, Carver and Elrod. Here are a few from ww2, Bruce, Dorsey, Evans, Fowler, Reece, Boyd. Korea, Burrell, Bunch
Vietnam: Langley, young, Boling
Many here today remember Sgt David Collins who died in Iraq.
Ladies and gentleman, every single one of those million plus soldiers who sacrificed their lives, their homes scattered all across this country, had mothers and fathers and families and friends who mourned their deaths. Just as we do in Pickens County.
Those brave soldiers Did Not Die in Vain!
Because of their sacrifices, these United States of America still stand strong today!
Because of their sacrifices, we are
Able to stand before the world as free and independent men and women!
Because of their sacrifices, our nation still shines as a beacon of light and a place of freedom and hope in this world!
President Ronald Reagan said, “There is no force in this world greater than the will and moral courage of the American Soldier.”
Across our nation today, in small towns like Jasper, Ga, Cottonwood Alabama, or Council Grove Ks as well as larger cities such as Pittsburgh, Pa, Portland, Or and Atlanta, Ga we gather together with our speeches, with our parades and with our flowers to honor the memory of these brave men and women, our fallen heroes.
We know that we can never give them as much as they gave us. They gave all!
But, here Today, in this time and at this place we Honor and remember their ultimate sacrifice.
We commend their souls to almighty God and ask his blessings on these United States.
Thank you!