GRAVETTE — Mother Nature had perfect timing Monday. The Memorial Day service at Hillcrest Cemetery went off without a hitch, with cloudy skies above, and raindrops began to fall only as the ceremony was ending.
Dave Malczynski, commander of the John E. Tracy American Legion post at Gravette, welcomed the crowd who attended and Ron Theis, pastor of the Beacon Baptist Church, opened the ceremony with a prayer.
Mike Carnahan, adjutant of the Legion post, and William Crose, first-vice commander, raised the flag while members of the Old Town String Band played "The Star Spangled Banner." The band then played "God Bless America."
Robert Honderich, a Vietnam era Army veteran, was speaker for the service. He related some milestones in the history of American wars and said he regretted that now it won't be long until the country must say "Good-bye" to its last World War II veteran.
Honderich said that, in modern day wars, the average American citizen does not sacrifice anything. There is not even anything like the gas rationing that occurred in World War II so "the nation doesn't understand sacrifice, doesn't understand violence, doesn't understand there is evil in the world." Yet those in the military go and put themselves in harm's way, risking their lives and enduring punishment to their bodies that even a professional athlete does not undergo, to help protect the freedoms we enjoy.
"This nation will never pay back what you sacrificed," Honderich said to those veterans present, "yet you continue to serve."
Honderich quoted John 15:13, "Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends," and noted that the group was gathered that day to honor not only the veterans present but those who had lost their lives in past conflicts and those who came home but have since passed away.
Following Honderich's talk, Bob Moore, past finance officer of the post, honored two long-time members of John E. Tracy American Legion Post and presented certificates to them. Louis Kirby was honored for 70 years of membership and John Richard Meade for 65 years. Meade was not able to attend but his son, Bill Meade, displayed his father's uniform, gave a brief acknowledgment and accepted the certificate.
Al Blair, finance officer for the post, and Bill Mattler, an Army veteran from Hiwasse, sang "God Bless the U.S.A." and Ron Theis closed the service with prayer, thanking all those veterans "who were willing to go and willing to die for this country that was founded on your principles."
"Taps" were played following the ceremony.
General News on 06/01/2016