Photo By Kimberly Hanson | Huntsville Memorial Day Ceremony at Veterans Park in downtown Huntsville, Ala. (Photo...... read more read more
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The pride of a community with a longstanding military history was evident Monday in downtown Huntsville as hundreds of patriots, veterans, servicemembers, community leaders and attendees gathered to honor the nation’s fallen warriors at Veterans Memorial Park.
The program included words of tribute from community and military leaders, patriotic music, a special tribute to Gold Star families, and a display of laid wreaths from 40 local military organizations adorned in flowers and ribbons.
Gen. Charles Hamilton, Army Materiel Command commander, remarked on the many medals, patches and insignia among audience members, the presence of the Gold Star family members, and the symbols displayed around the memorial as a reminder of the high price of our nation’s freedom.
“Values like Courage, Sacrifice and Duty… Those words were carved into the stone of this memorial as those who we honor today carved them into the stone of our nation’s history when they, in the immortal words of President Lincoln, ‘gave the last full measure of devotion,’” Hamilton said in his keynote remarks.
Gold Star families, who have lost family members during service, were recognized up front and throughout the ceremony for their sacrifice. They were honored with the laying of two wreaths at the beginning of the ceremony – the Gold Star Families wreath and the Gold Star Mothers wreath – followed by the laying of wreaths by 40 organizations representing the community’s Gold Star families, the City of Huntsville, the North Alabama Veterans and Fraternal Organizations Coalition, and dozens of military and veterans groups.
The wreath-laying ceremony is what sets this commemoration apart from others, according to Command Sgt. Maj. Jimmy Sellers, sergeant major of Army Materiel Command.
“It’s more important that we display our respects with less talk and more action, which is why events like this are so important for our community,” Sellers said. “The laying of the wreaths by the different organizations throughout the community, I thought that was a very special touch to witness their participation.”
Hamilton rendered a special salute to retired Capt. Mike Rose during his speech, honoring Rose for his heroic actions during the Vietnam War that earned him a Medal of Honor, for his status as a Gold Star family member as the father-in-law of fallen Marine Staff Sgt. Scott Bowen, and for his enduring involvement in North Alabama’s military community.
Among the speakers was Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle, who reminded the audience that the Veterans Memorial Park was built for days like this and funded by private citizens throughout the region who wanted to honor those who had fought and served for their nation.
“This ceremony is one where we sit and we remember those who have fallen so that we could be here, in this great community, in this great country, so that we can observe the freedoms that we do today,” Battle said.
On a day riddled with reminders of the cost of freedom, Hamilton said the observance should not end with mere reflection, but instead, a call to action.
“A call to honor the fallen by living lives worthy of their sacrifice,” he said. “Each name etched in stone represents a challenge to us, a challenge to uphold the values and to protect the rights that they fought for, that they died for.”
After the ceremony, several military and city leaders attended a closed luncheon where they had the opportunity to spend time with the Gold Star families of state and local fallen servicemembers.
| Date Taken: | 05.29.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 05.30.2023 12:07 |
| Story ID: | 445748 |
| Location: | HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA, US |
| Web Views: | 43 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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