SULPHUR SPRINGS -- Memorial Day is more than backyard barbecue and beer. Thanks to the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), we have a national holiday set aside to honor those who have served and fought for our nation.
And members of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW) are honoring those who served in our nation's military with a special service at 2 p.m. on Memorial Day at the GAR Cemetery in Sulphur Springs.
The service will feature a military salute to the veterans buried there, possibly to include a cannon salute.
Not only are civil war veterans buried in the GAR Cemetery but also veterans from WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam and the first Gulf War, according to Joseph Rainey of the SUVCW. The only Medal of Honor recipient buried in Benton County is buried in this cemetery.
M. Waldo Hatler, of Neosho, Mo., World War I Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, served as a sergeant in the United States Army in Company B, 356th Infantry, 89th Division. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for action on Nov. 8, 1918, near Pouilly, France. His citation reads: "When volunteers were called for to secure information as to the enemy's position on the opposite bank of the Meuse River, Sgt. Hatler was the first to offer his services for the dangerous mission. Swimming across the river, he succeeded in reaching the German lines after another soldier, who had started with him, had been seized with cramps and drowned in midstream. Alone, he carefully and courageously reconnoitered the enemy's positions, which were held in force, and again successfully swam the river, bringing back information of great value."
The cemetery address is 6000 Skyline Drive (County Road 446) in Sulphur Springs. All are invited to the service.
Community on 05/22/2019