Heather Ainsley
ECB Publishing, Inc.
Last weekend, as much of America lit up their barbecues and put on their favorite swimwear to enjoy the festivities of the three-day weekend, the country also paid homage to the source of the holiday: the men and women who lost their lives serving their country. Indeed, the celebrations of Memorial Day are bittersweet, as we celebrate the great freedom we are allowed in our country, and mourn the price that was paid for it. This stark contrast between happiness and heartache has marked our communities since the first celebrations of “Decorations Day” in 1868. The day of mournful celebration became known officially as Memorial Day in 1971 when Congress standardized the holiday and changed its observance from May 30 to the last Monday in May.
This Memorial Day was welcomed in by the community of Monticello with a Memorial Day Breakfast hosted by The American Legion, Otto M. Walker Post 49 at 8 a.m. Monday morning. The morning of fellowship began with an introduction given by 1st Vice Commander Tony Minichiello, who welcomed all to stand for The Posting of the Colors, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance and The National Anthem. As everyone resumed their seats, he welcomed Chaplain Harry Welhearn to say the invocation blessing over the ceremony and subsequent meal.
“O Lord,” began the prayer, “As we celebrate Memorial Day, let us remember that if it were not for the brave warriors of yesteryear, who gave their last full measure of devotion for this great nation, we would not stand free today. Life would not be a gift, but instead a prison. Freedom is not free; it has been paid for by the blood of our heroes. Not everyone knows the freedoms of life, liberty and happiness as we do. Today, we thank you, O mighty God, and we thank the heroes of America's past. Help us to have the courage and bravery of our fallen Americans. Lord, we ask you to bless this food and bless all the men and women who worked on it. God bless America, Amen.”
With that, the Chaplain handed the microphone over to the next speaker, WWII Veteran Charles Reichert, age 96, who read one of the most memorable war poems ever written, In Flanders Fields, by John McCrae.
Following this presentation was Ed Gifford, who currently serves as Adjutant and will be officially taking up the role of Commander for Post 49 in July. While the guests were encouraged to line up to be served the wonderful breakfast prepared for them, Gifford expressed gratitude to those who donated food and items for the Memorial Day breakfast event. Special thanks was given to Bob Morris, who donated a military silhouette to the American Legion for display on front of the building, as well as a rifle for the raffle that was to be held at the breakfast. This donation, Gifford stated, would enable all of the proceeds made by the raffle to go directly to benefit the Post, which was undergoing extensive restoration and repairs to the building.
“As you can see, we are working quite a bit on the building,” said Gifford, “It's not perfect, but it's a work in progress. The basement was in shambles, we are trying to get that cleaned up so that we can maybe have another room we can utilize somewhere in the future. We are also working on the outside. We've got gutters that are going to be installed this Wednesday out front, to try and get the water pulled away from the building. We also have gutters that are going to be fully installed on each of the sides. We are working on it! Just like they say, “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” How are we gonna fix this building? One dollar at a time. It isn't cheap to fix the building, and it's had a lot of damage over the years, so bear with us, and watch our construction!” Gifford added that the American Legion has plans to hold future fundraisers, raffles and community dinners in the hopes of raising enough money to cover the much-needed repairs to the historical building. Those who wish to donate toward the restoration efforts may send donations to P.O. Box 761 at the Monticello Post Office. Please ensure all checks are addressed to The American Legion.
As all settled in to enjoy the bountiful breakfast of eggs, sausage, grits, donuts, biscuits, fruit, coffee and orange juice, Gifford continued on in thanks. “I'd like to also thank Jackie Watson at The Brickhouse. She provided the sausage for today's breakfast, and Sam Kersey, he provided 39 dozen eggs, so there are plenty of eggs, so eat up!”
As everyone enjoyed their breakfast, Guest Speaker Gary Wright stood at the podium and addressed the crowd. He admitted that when the Commander initially asked him to speak at the Memorial Day event, he hesitated. “I'm not a combat veteran,” he stated humbly, “And we have had some very distinguished people stand at this podium at this time every year to share with us some of the experiences they've had. I feel especially honored and privileged to have been invited. I contemplated, 'well, what can I talk about?' I know what the occasion is about; it's solemn. And we need to keep it solemn.”
During his speech, Gary Wright spoke for a few short minutes about his own service in the military, the three years, six months and 13 days he served on active duty in the Army from 1959 until 1963 prior to the Vietnam War, where he was trained as a computer operator and a heavy weapons infantryman in MOS 112. He touched on several of his job requirements and titles, and how they led to his eventual experience in Italy, when he was assigned to the American Embassy in Rome under MOS 714.10, and was able to see first-hand the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery and Memorial.
“Any red-blooded American will be moved with emotion to see and visit this garden of stone memorials,” said Wright. “The cemetery is seventy-seven acres in total; landscaped and maintained to perfection; an immaculate oasis of honor and beauty. Not a single blade of grass is out of line. Two American flags fly daily from two 80-foot-high flagpoles located on each side of the Memorial Chapel.”
“Beneath the flags are buried 7,861 of our military dead in graves, each marked with a white marble headstone in the shape of a latin cross and an occasional Star of David for those of the Jewish faith,” continued Wright. “Also engraved in white marble on the cemetery chapel wall is an additional 3,095 names of the missing who were either lost or buried at sea... Four hundred and ninety graves are marked: “Here Lies a Comrade in Arms Known Only but to God.””
The room was quiet as all listened with rapt attention to Wright as he narrated some of the many events that occurred in Italy during the 1940s as American soldiers faced the horrors and heartbreaks of war. He mentioned several battle-worn men from Monticello who faced bitter cold rain and the onslaught of German forces. Among those he mentioned were Tech 5 Sargent Ottis Sanders with the 24th Infantry Division, who, after the war had ended, set up and operated a body shop locally. One of his sons, Bill, lives in Madison, and another, Wesley, lives in nearby Atlanta, Ga.
Wright mentioned Machine Gunner Leon Clark with the 145th Infantry Division, who, after the war, resumed his job as a butcher at a local grocery store. His legacy is remembered by his son, Joel, who shares war stories that his father had shared with he and his sister, Cheryl.
Desmond “Dude” Bishop, who was a Tank Commander with the 1st Armored Division (Old Ironsides), and his fellow crew member Brownie Eades were also locals. Dude is a proud Florida Graduate and served consecutive terms as Superintendent of Jefferson County Schools, while Eades, who was introduced to Monticello by Dude, was employed at JCKC for the remainder of his life.
The weight of these memories, and their close connection to Monticello, rang out in the American Legion dining room, a stark reminder that war affects all. We all navigate the world daily with people who once experienced the darkest horrors of combat, and emerged out of the depths of war with memories of things we can scarce imagine. In a finishing note, Wright said solemnly, “On this Memorial Day, we are reminded once again of the perils of war, and the sacrifices offered for freedom.”
To all those who have laid down their lives for their country, in both past service and current duty, thank you. To all of those who never returned home, our hearts and memories are with you. You are not forgotten.
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