On May 26, Atlanta held its annual
Memorial Day observance in front of the Atlanta Public Library.
Flags decorated the streets leading up to the library.
Master of Ceremonies Linda Brooks
welcomed everyone to the program then thanked the rest of the
Memorial Day Committee. The committee included Billie Cheek, Helen
Daugherty, Susan Hoblit, Nancy Miller and Brooks.
Next, a group from Atlanta Ag 4-H
led everyone in saying the Pledge of Allegiance
Recently elected Mayor Tom Young
called it an honor to be up here then said he has known many
veterans over the years and a lot of them have been good friends. He
welcomed everyone and said he hoped the list of future veterans
grows slim because he hopes we don’t have any more wars.
The opening prayer was led by Larry
Collins, who thanked God for the freedoms we have in America plus
the brave men and women who gave their lives to protect us and the
principles of our nation’s founding. He also expressed thanks for
all the rights God gives us to live, be free and follow our vision
and call without oppression.
Last year, when she left the
service, Brooks said she wondered how to make the program better and
draw more people. Brooks called Abraham Lincoln Impersonator John
Walther, who agreed to come and read Lincoln’s 1865 Gettysburg
Address. This two minute speech has been repeated decades as it
captures the sentiments of a nation for its fallen soldier.
As he portrayed Lincoln, Walther began with two stories before
giving the address. He told the crowd you have quite a library and
reading is something I love. After borrowing a book on George
Washington from a friend, he stuck it in a crack in the wall, where
it got ruined after it rained.
Even with no formal education, Lincoln said I learned to read and
write, then later became a lawyer travelling the circuit in this
area. He said when I became president of the United States, a lot of
people were not happy with the way the election turned out.
With the war dragging on, Lincoln said I was asked to make a few
appropriate remarks. He then read the Gettysburg Address.
Connie Wertheim read the Kelly
Strong poem “Freedom Isn’t Free,” which talks about someone seeing a
young Marine and wondering how many like him had fallen through the
years or died on foreign soil.
The poem goes on to ponder how many pilot’s planes were shot down
and how many foxholes became soldier’s graves. Hearing a bugler play
taps, the poet thinks about how many times it was an “amen” at a
flag draped coffin. Remembering all these things plus the families
affected by the losses, graveyards on the sea’s bottom and unmarked
Arlington graves causes the poet to realize freedom isn’t free.
Brooks then introduced keynote
speaker Dan Benedict, Superintendent of the Logan County Veterans
Assistance Commission. Benedict grew up in Atlanta and graduated
from Olympia High School in 1990. Brooks said Benedict enlisted in
the Air Force three days after turning 17.
During Benedict’s whole career, he served as an Intelligence Analyst
working in the U.S., North Korea, England and the Middle East. He
was involved with deep space tracking and Special Forces working
with all levels of command.
In 2013, Benedict retired from the
Air Force as a Senior Master Sergeant in charge of the Air Force
Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency Special
Missions. Benedict then worked for a defense contractor returning to
Logan County in 2015 when he began working for the Veteran’s
Administration.
As Benedict began, he thanked everyone for having him here and said
the town looks beautiful. Everyone who has been involved in setting
out the flags provide a real testament to the devotion people have
here for the remembrance of fallen veterans.
On the way to the Memorial Day service, Benedict stopped at the
Atlanta Cemetery and saw the flags on the graves. He walked around
looking at the veteran’s names. As he thought about what they
experienced and went through defending our way of life, Benedict
said it was very moving.
Even with cookouts, family plans and yard work waiting at home,
Benedict said you chose to be here today and that means something.
He said it gives him hope.
Benedict served in the Air Force for 23 years, so he said Memorial
Day is more than just a national observance. It is deeply personal.
Though he is retired from the Air Force, Benedict said everyone who
has worn the uniform knows service does not end when you take the
uniform off. It changes you and how you see the world. It becomes a
part of who you are. It changes how you value life and carry the
memory of those who served alongside you.
During his time in the service, Benedict had the privilege of
serving in some of the most dynamic and demanding environments from
Strategic Air Commands to Special Operations to Space Commands and
the Air Force Intelligence Agency among others.
Each command had very different
worlds. Benedict said every time I went to a new command, the
mission was very different, but there was a common bond. The common
bond was an unwavering commitment by all those alongside me to
protect and defend our nation.
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Next, Benedict
said, today we honor the fallen. Not just the ones in history
books, but every man and woman who took the oath to defend our
country. Not just those who died in action but also died from
scars they brought home with them. [We honor] the ones exposed
to toxic chemicals for years and suffered from the exposure. We
honor those who died and gave their life for our country. We
honor the 22 veterans who take their lives daily.
Benedict talked about his time in the special operations working
among some of the most highly trained and disciplined people.
They were professionals who didn’t seek headlines but ran
towards the mission regardless of the risk. They knew lives
depended on them. The missions were complex and often
classified. Benedict said success is not measured in
recognition, but the fact others are living in peace.
Some of the warriors Benedict served alongside never came home,
but Benedict said he carries their names, their faces and their
stories especially on Memorial Day.
Memorial Day is a reminder that freedom is not free. Benedict
said it has been purchased again and again. The cost is born by
families and communities of those who died.
In the Air Force Benedict served among many selfless people who
ran towards danger. They left behind families and missed births,
graduations, holidays and many other milestones. He said the
soldiers did not ask for thanks just did their duty.
Something Benedict remembers is standing at attention as flag
draped caskets were loaded on planes. Time seems to stop. He
said these soldiers were not statistics, but family members with
favorite songs and dreams. Their absence created a hole in
families and communities.
We know names [of fallen soldiers] in Atlanta and have seen
their names in the paper, the honor guard at the cemetery and
gold and blue stars in the windows. Benedict said even if we
didn’t know them personally, we owe them and their families our
deepest respect.
Memorial Day is not just about those who fell. It is a day about
meaning and not letting the sacrifices fade into memory. It
reminds us we must pause and choose to remember them.
Benedict chooses to remember many fallen soldiers he knew and
said we need to carry on their stories and beliefs. We can honor
them by having a sense of purpose, showing up for each other,
treating each other with respect. We support veterans who came
home and encourage those planning to go into the military. We
make a promise that if they serve they will not be forgotten.
One of the biggest lessons Benedict learned is leadership is not
about rank but about service. We all have a role in shaping our
nation and our future.
To the families of the fallen and the many who suffer from the
effects of Agent Orange, Benedict said, we see you. We honor
your pain. We carry the memory of your loved ones with us not
just today but always.
Benedict said the sacrifices are not forgotten and never will
be. Their legacy lives on through freedoms we cherish and the
country they helped protect.
Next, Benedict thanked those who have served and are still
serving. He said we need to make sure Memorial Day is more than
a moment of silence. We need to show it in our kindness and
carry gratitude for their sacrifices and the freedom to live, to
worship and to dream. We need to show gratitude for the
generations of men and women who gave up all their tomorrows so
we can have our todays.
In closing, Benedict shared a quote from Aristotle that says,
“You will never do anything in this world without courage. It is
the greatest quality of the mind next to honor.” Those we honor
today had both honor and courage, so we should live lives worthy
of their courage and not take their sacrifices for granted.
After the keynote address, everyone
stood as Azul King sang the National Anthem.
Brooks then did a Veteran
recognition, naming various wars and asking those who served in each
of those wars to stand.
In the Netherlands Brooks said thousands died during war and many
people were digging graves. People there decided to honor those who
gave their lives through an adopt a grave program. She said 8,222
graves are being honored by people in the Netherlands. A wall there
has 1723 names of the missing.
Families who adopt a grave take care of these graves and send photos
showing people where their child is buried. Brooks finds it very
moving. A new book called Remember Us tells stories about various
units and the people they lost.
Wayne White then sang and played
the Billy Ray Cyrus song “Some Gave All,” which talks about a fallen
hero named Sandy Cane. The song says many do not understand the
reasons we are free.
The moving chorus reminds us “All Gave Some, Some Gave All. Some
stood through for the red, white and blue…some had to fall.” It also
says, “some had to fall and if you ever think of me. Think of all
your liberties and recall [that] some gave all.”
Larry Collins’ closing prayer was
followed by an honor guard salute by American Legion Post #341.
The day’s service ended with Amber Nicholson playing taps.
Once the service was over, many visited with friends, talked to Dan
Benedict or lined up to buy grilled pork chop or ribeye sandwiches.
[Angela Reiners]
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