Post honors veterans
<p>Don Kunzer salutes a fallen soldier after symbols of remembrance were placed on the grave.</p>
PLAINS – The true meaning of Memorial Day was on display on both Saturday, May 24 and Friday, May 30 as the VFW Post #3596 spent two days honoring those fallen before them.
Long after the barbecues, get-togethers and parties were concluded; the post ensured that their fellow brothers and sisters who have passed before them received proper credit.
On Saturday, nine volunteers canvassed the cemetery placing flags on the graves of those brothers and sisters who have passed before them. In all, 423 flags were placed in commemoration.
Graves from as far back as the Spanish-American War were recognized, ensuring that no one was left behind.
As the volunteers worked their way through the Plains Cemetery, typically in groups of two, they were able to reflect on the importance of Memorial Day and the vast impact those they honored had left on the country as a whole, keeping America as the land of the free.
“If we don’t do this, no one will,” said volunteer Gary Jenson.
The annual event has been a tradition for the post for a countless amount of years.
On Friday, the original Memorial Day, the Plains post gathered at the cemetery to pay tribute once again. Both the honor guard and the Ladies Auxiliary were present.
Long ago, in May of 1868, May 30 was designated as the day to honor those veterans who had passed.
“What can aide more to ensure this result than by cherishing tenderly the memory of our heroic dead,” read Charles Oelschlager during the commemoration. “Wherever a body of a comrade lies, there the ground is hollow.”
After symbols of their remembrance were placed on a grave, symbolizing the purity of the comrades, their devotion and everlasting remembrance, the comrades rendered a silent salute.
Once the ceremony was completed at the fairgrounds, the group traveled to the bridge near the fairgrounds to commemorate those who lost their lives at sea.
This year, two wreaths were offered, one for the Navy and the other for the post. Otto Otnes and Bill Beck dropped the wreaths into the raging water below.
“We are assembled here to pay tribute to the men and women of our country who have served in the United States Armed Forces, who fought in defense of this country and for the preservation of our way of life, and who lost their lives at sea,” said Oelschlager. “Those men and women are worthy of far greater recognition than mere words or markers. The sacrifice they made and the deeds they performed shall be written in history and shall remain alive in our memories for generations to come.”
He continued on to say the VFW appreciates and honors all of their fallen comrades.
“Fighting under the flag of this nation is the privileged duty of every able bodied American, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars will always honor those who go forth in defense of our nation. They are the true guardians of freedom, justice and equality among men,” Oelschlager ended.
One thing was for certain, none of the fallen veterans were forgotten – each and every one remained in the minds of the VFW members, the Ladies Auxilary and all those in attendance at the annual ceremony.