Photo By Staff Sgt. Candice Harrison | The Camp Concordia interpretive sign that was the highlight of the Memorial Day...... read more read more
Subscribe
EL PASO, Texas- Concordia Cemetery in El Paso is the final resting home for more than 60,000 people; 127 of those people were veterans of wars reaching all the way back to the Civil War.
On a bright sun-shiny Monday morning, a group of people were huddled under a white canopy, waiting for the Memorial Day festivities to begin.
Memorial Day was the perfect day to unveil an interpretive sign located in the veteran’s section of the cemetery.
The ceremony began with heart-felt invocation given by Cliff Seaman, a singer and songwriter who is responsible for the music on the cemetery’s web site, blessing all those that have been killed in war, missing in action, prisoners of war and those who have served in the past and the present.
Then the crowd stood for the Pledge of Allegiance. The American Flag and the Texas state flag flapped in the wind, adding to the patriotism of the event.
Patricia Kiddney, president of the Concordia Cemetery organization, welcomed everyone. “It’s a glorious day for El Paso and for Concordia Cemetery,” she said. Kiddney went on to thank the volunteers who made the preservation of the cemetery possible.
“I would like to explain that this is a work in progress,” said Kiddney of the efforts being made to preserve the cemetery. “We have a group of people who come out here every Wednesday and Saturday morning, and these people are under the jurisdiction of the West Texas Community Supervision and Corrections Department. They are serving their community service hours, and a couple of weeks ago they decided they would help us beautify the GAR Plot.” Kiddney defined GAR as the Grand Republic of the Army.
The GAR is located in the veteran’s area of the cemetery. Although it is called the veteran’s area, the veterans are not located in one central area; they are spread out throughout the cemetery.
Manny Navarrete, who retired from the U.S. Army after 23 years of service in the rank of major, narrated the Missing Man Table tribute, a ceremony that honors prisoners of war and those missing in action. His booming voice, which transcended his age, described each item on the table and its meaning. Navarrete had spent time in Korea, Nicaragua, Panama and Vietnam, and from the power with which he delivered his speech it was obvious that the topic was near and dear to his heart.
The next speaker was Dan Schulte, president of the Rotary Club of Franklin Mountain. The rotary club was responsible for donating the interpretive sign that was the highlight of the day.
Schulte informed the audience that the rotary club is a group of business people and professionals, both active and retired, who come together to make a difference in the community in which they live. “In fact that’s one of the hallmarks of the rotary,” explained Schulte. “If there is something that needs to be done in the community we jump right in it with both feet.”
Benny Sargent, chairman of the El Paso County Historical Commission, took the stage to give thanks to those responsible for Concordia Cemetery’s rejuvenation.
Sargent also took the time to thank another group in the audience. He asked all the veterans to put their hands up. As the others in the crowd clapped he said “Thank you, and thank your families for supporting you while you were serving elsewhere.”
It was then time for the unveiling.
Kiddney and Schulte walked over to the interpretive art piece and removed the sheet that covered it to expose the sign.
The sign describes Camp Concordia’s history dating back to 1849 to include its time known as Fort Bliss. There was an art rendering as well as a black and white photograph of the old camp on the sign.
Before the ceremony was over taps was played to honor veterans who had lost their lives.
The festivities concluded with those visiting for the day viewing the sign and the tombstones throughout the cemetery.
The list of 127 veterans buried at Concordia was available to all who wanted it. The list can be found by contacting the Concordia Heritage Association. Spread over the entire cemetery groups of people could be seen looking at the white sheets of paper and finding the plots that matched the names on the list and paying their respects.
| Date Taken: | 05.28.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 06.05.2012 18:58 |
| Story ID: | 89472 |
| Location: | EL PASO, TX, US |
| Web Views: | 72 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Cemetery remembers the past and unveils the new, by SSG Candice Harrison, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT