Photos below:
My 85 year old brother Joseph J. Kenyon - note the huge oxygen tank. He served as tail gunner during Korean War. My other brother Alfred was a pilot during last year of Korea. My son in law is now deployed as a special ops pilot in USAF. Joe's been leading this ceremony over 50 years. I tried to talk him out of it this year due to his health issues.... he replied -" I can do this, it's too important not to. People must never forget".
Local man Roy Althiser,Jr. was guest speaker... a Marine..... served two tours of Vietnam, lost his leg in an explosion while serving as a volunteer fireman, lost his son at age 12 to brain cancer. His father served in WWII and Korea. His Uncle was a KoreanWar POW for 36 months. His son served in Marines in Iraq war and Afghanistan.
Semper fi Roy !
If we forget to honor those that serve or are serving, we are doomed as a society. It is because of those men and women that serve this country that we have all the freedoms and life choices that we enjoy.
Lastly, the Bugler that escorted Ulysses S. Grant to Appomattox Court house for the Surrender of Robert E. Lee at the conclusion of the Civil War was a young man named Seth Flint. He had runaway from home to join, at 16 so he used a fake name during his service years. (Charles Seaver) . He served in a slew of battles as infantry and as a cavalry rider before becoming Buglar. When the surrender was over he played taps. After he was done, the Southern bugler echoed it. Hence - that's why we have the echo performed each year during the ceremonies. ( There is an article in Saturday evening post about it - here is the link if you are a civil war buff- http://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/wp-c … nder/#/1/)
He also lived in my town . He was responsible for the huge Boys in Blue Statue which bears brass plates of all the Civil War Veterans, and subsequently every other war veteran that ever served from our town.
Peatle- sorry if I stepped over into your history realm regarding the Civil War .... but I thought some would be interested.
It doesn't matter what country we are from- we all have many that gave some or all for freedom.
Thanks to all who have served.
Jim
Your vision is not limited by what your eye can see, but what your mind can imagine.
Make your life count, and the world will be a better place because you tried.
"Use the talents you possess, for the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except only the the best." - Henry Van Dyke
