BELLA VISTA -- The flag salute, taps and a bagpipe rendition of "Amazing Grace" provided quiet moments of reflection Monday for those gathered to gathered to pay tribute to the fallen.
Those attending the Memorial Day service held at the American Legion Post 341 were a link in the chain of memory, said Major Mark Golaway, retired National Guard chaplain, in his address to the group.
"The greatest dishonor is to be forgotten," Golway said.
Veterans and comrades of those who have died in service to the country and extended family packed the hall. The ceremony was moved from the Bella Vista Cemetery because of heavy rain this week.
The branch of service or where the person died were unimportant to those who gathered for Monday's service, Golaway said. Their focus was on the "who."
"We see faces. We hear voices and we remember," he said.
Ed Macik of Bella Vista ended his service with the Marines with a rank of corporal. He was in Vietnam for a year. Friends died there, he said. He tries to honor them in his life, sticking to the high moral ground.
"I kind of see them living through me," Macik said.
Serving overseas opened his eyes to the good in his home country, said Don Kerr of Bella Vista. Kerr served in the Navy during the Korean War. People in the United States can move between states without restrictions and have freedom of religion and freedom of speech, he said.
"I just believe in the United States of America. We have a lot of problems but it is the best country in the world to live in," Kerr said.
Candy Hebar of Bella Vista, came to the event with her mother and granddaughter. It is important for the family to remember, Hebar said. Her father Donald Neff was stationed in Camp Pendleton during the Korean War. He instilled a love of country in his family, she said. Attending an event in honor of those who died in service to the country has been a family tradition for more than 50 years, said Audrey Neff, Hebar's mother.
"We have never missed a ceremony," Hebar said.
Her 7-year-old granddaughter Hannah Hanson attended Monday's event.
"We salute the people who are in the Army who helped fight," Hannah said.
Organizers and some attendees said they hope the younger generation will get the message. Recognition of Memorial Day is somewhat apathetic, said John Chelstrom, commander of American Legion Post 341.
"It's become ho-hum," Chelstrom said.
It is a difficult holiday to remember, Golaway said after the ceremony.
Saying "happy" Memorial Day flies in the face of the solemnity of honoring the fallen. Thanking a veteran for service should be reserved for Veteran's Day, he said.
"Don't thank me for my service on Memorial Day. I'm still here," Golaway said.
It is a day to thank families for their sacrifice, he said. As chaplain he has had to deliver the news that a family member will never come home again. Any loss of life is overwhelming and tragic, but for families of those who died in service it reopens the wound when their sacrifice goes unnoticed.
"It's not just that individual who gave all. It's those Gold Star families," Golaway said.
Some families are able to grieve publicly, while others may still be raising children whose parent died in service and they may need time to heal before they allow themselves to remember. Golaway served in Iraq. Younger veterans and their families may not be ready to remember, he said.
"Sometimes it's still too fresh," Golaway said.
General News on 05/27/2015