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Memorial ceremony draws large crowd |
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Click here for Memorial Day Service photo album
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| By Maurice Emery Editor Emeritus |
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It was a bright, comfortably hot day with only a light on again off again breeze. As the American, North Carolina and Prisoner of War flags flew at half mast, area citizens gathered for the annual Memorial Day Ceremony. With the nation at war, or maybe because the country is at war, one of the largest crowds in years paid tribute to those who have given their lives in defense of our country. The ceremony was conducted by the Horace Palmer Jr. Post 308 American Legion from Littleton, with members of the Daniel “Chappie” James American Legion Post 425 in attendance to support them. In his opening remarks Quinton Qualls, Post 308 Commander, told the gathering, “We are gathered to celebrate a day we should remember every day of the year.” “How thankful we are for the young men and women that serve,” the Reverend Cecil Aldridge stated in his opening prayer. “As we honor them help us not to forget them,” he added. At that point Perry Bobbitt and Terry Priestino slowly raised the flags to full staff as Larry Williams sang the National Anthem. This was followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Doris Dickens placed the wreath at the base of the flags in front of the monuments that honor those who have served in World War I, World War II, the Korean conflict and the Vietnam conflict. The speaker was Post 308 Vice commander Richard Kohl, who related a story that was very effective in bringing home the meaning of the day. Kohl told the gathering that he was speaking from his heart without a prepared text. The first thing he did was remind everyone that there are POWs and MIAs (Missing in Action soldiers) from all the wars still unaccounted for. There are two American servicemen still unaccounted for in Iraq. He then set the stage for his message by explaining life on the rifle range at boot camp. When the recruits have had enough training that they can fire live ammunition at targets they are then informed that when they get a bulls eye a white dot will appear on the target, if they hit any other place on the target a black dot will appear. If they completely miss the target a red flag is waived back and forth, this is commonly known as “maggies drawers.” Kohl then went on to talk about the battle of Khe Sanh and specifically hill 881 South. The battle took place in 1967-68. In the early days of the battle when the Marines first took over the hill they did not have an American flag to fly. A widow from Hamtramck, Mich., donated a 48-star flag that was on her husband’s coffin when he died, he was a World War II veteran. When the battle for Khe Sanh started the North Vietnamese Army would shell hill 881s every day. Thousands of shells would fall on hill 881s. Even with all this shelling a Marine would raise the flag every morning and take it down every night. One morning the shelling started early, at that point a Marine headed up to the flag pole and waved “maggies drawer” at the enemy. Amazingly not one Marine was injured when raising or lowering the flag. Kohl stated that every day the flagged served as a reminder of who we were, what we were there for and what we were trying to do. He reminded everyone that a lady from Hamtramck, Mich., gave her treasure for what it was needed for. The 48-star flag was a sign and symbol that meant a lot to us for those of us who were there. The spirit of our fighting men and women lives on today as it was in Vietnam, as it was in Korea, in World War II and World War I. Kohl closed by telling everyone that as long as we remember those who have gone before us we have done the right thing. In Qualls’ closing remarks he stated, “We need to remember all those that have paid with their lives so that we have this freedom.” Prior to the closing prayer Qualls asked everyone to remember the three post members they lost during the last year. They were Claude Wilson, Ray Nelson and Robert West.For additional photo coverage, visit www.littleobserver.com |
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| May 23, 2007 | ||||||||
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