Jackson County honors and remembers our fallen during Memorial Day program
Katie Hightower
On Monday, May 27, Scottsboro held its annual Memorial Day Service to honor and remember the heroes who paid the ultimate sacrifice for the United States and the freedom of its people.
The solemn service began at Veteran’s Park with a wreath-laying ceremony at the marker with Jackson County’s fallen soldiers’ names. Jack Livingston, WW2 Navy Veteran, stated, “I’m delighted we’re doing this and think it’s important to keep their names there and remember them.” Thomas Mortimore, an Army Veteran who served for 20 years with two tours of Afghanistan and one tour of Iraq, brought his family to pay tribute to our lost military personnel.
Myron Dawson, Navy Veteran and Commander of American Legion Post 30, spoke at the ceremony. He talked about the families left behind after losing their beloved, “Pick a name on the wall and pray for their family because they need it.”
According to Jim Olyniec, there are 227 names of Jackson County’s fallen soldiers on the wall with a blank block for any future names. He stated, “I hope the blank block never gets filled.”
Refreshments were served following the wreath ceremony at the American Legion and VFW Post Home. Then the service continued at Collins Intermediate School’s auditorium while the Scottsboro Community Band opened with patriotic tunes.
Rick Roden, President and CEO of Mountain Lakes Chamber of Commerce, welcomed attendees as the emcee of the program. Boy Scouts from Troop 7018 presented arms and led the Pledge of Allegiance after Steven Barber, minister of Riverside Baptist Church, led those in attendance with a prayer. Devann Jackson then sang a song and played guitar.
After that, the POW/MIA remembrance began with the presentation of the POW/MIA flag. The auditorium was filled with the sound of sorrowful bagpipes by Trent Bradford while he played Amazing Grace as a Veteran carried the flag to the stage.
Raymond Brandon then told the audience about the meaning of the dinner table that was set on the stage to honor POW/MIA Veterans: the table cloth was white to symbolize the purity of the soldiers’ calls to serve, the rose was to symbolize the families waiting at home, the yellow ribbon on the vase represented the ribbons worn by many to remember the missing, the candle stood lit for their unconquerable spirit, the lemon represented their bitter faith, the salt for their families’ tears, an inverted glass meant they can’t toast with us, and an empty chair stood alone because they can’t be with us. Brandon said, “Remember, until the day they come home.”
Emcee Roden then recognized those present and introduced guest speaker, Lieutenant General Robert A. Rasch Jr.
Rasch started by sharing Rudyard Kipling’s A Time for Prayer. He stated that Memorial Day proved the poem to be wrong because in the United States, people haven’t forgotten God, nor have they slighted those who served our nation. He said on Memorial Day we remember and honor those who gave sacrifice and we spend time in prayer. He went on to discuss the history of Memorial Day and how it was rooted in values—the same values that motivated so many citizens to serve our country.
After Rasch spoke, Jim Olyneic then announced a new addition to Veterans Memorial Park is on the way. Olyneic shared The Battlefield Cross, a monument of the fallen soldier, will appear in the park in the next couple of months.
Spencer Walker, grandson of Navy veteran Doug Beckner, then sang "God Bless the USA." Steven Barber followed with a benediction and then the Scottsboro Community Band played The Stars and Stripes Forever as the Colors were retired.
Ed Clayson, who served with the Army for 26 years, said that he was very appreciative of the support Jackson County has given to the veterans. He was especially thankful for the City of Scottsboro and the Jackson County Commission’s support. Gayla Sue Mendez stated, “We are so blessed to live in a place that does things like this.”
