Community honors fallen heroes

Bugler Gary Rushing
of Magic City Post 24
plays "Taps."
(Photo by John H. Walker)

More than 200 people, a larger than normal audience, gathered at the new Veterans Plot at Ponemah Cemetery Monday to honor America's fallen at Bogalusa's annual Memorial Day observance.


The program, as always, was hosted by American Legion Magic City Post 24 and included participation from Boy Scout Troop 86 and the Bogalusa High School JROTC Honor Guard.


Following the official welcome, delivered by Mayor Charles Mizell, keynote speaker Dr. Dennis LaRavia shared stories or heroism with the audience ... from World War I, World War II and Afghanistan ... and how the soldiers, sailors and Marines cited all shared a faith in God and belief in Him to help them survive the horrors of war.

Hon. John Gallaspy recites
"In Flanders Fields" for 40th year.
(Photo by John H. Walker)

And for what he estimated as the 40th year, Hon. John Gallaspy recited "In Flanders fields." Canadian physician and Lt. Col. John McCrae is popularly believed to have written it on May 3, 1915 after he witnessed the death of his friend, Lt. Alexis Helmer, 22, the day before.


The poppies referred to in the poem grew in profusion in Flanders in the disturbed earth of the battlefields and cemeteries where war casualties were buried and thus became a symbol of Remembrance Day — the predecessor of Memorial Day.


Prior to Mr. Gallaspy's recitation, Girl Scouts placed poppies on the graves in the Veterans Plot.

Some of the veterans in attendance at Monday's
Memorial Day observance at Ponemah Cemetery.
(Photo by John H. Walker)

Placing poppies on graves.
(Photo by John H. Walker)

Among those in attendance were a number of veterans, including Norma Paige Jenkins, who was an Army nurse in the Pacific Theatre.


"We worked in the evacuation arena,” she told wpnewsblog. "We saw the worst of the worst."


She said she remembered Aug. 6, 1945, when the Japanese city of Hiroshima was destroyed by an atomic bomb.


"We knew when we heard the bomb had been dropped that we would be coming home," she said. "I wondered how we could be so happy (at the news of so many deaths), but we were ... we were going home!"


(Published first at http://www.wpnewsblog.blogspot.com)

By dawn's early light

In Ponemah Cemetery's "old" Veterans Section,
American flags mark the final resting places for
men and women who served their country. Many of
these soldiers, airmen, sailors or Marines paid the
ultimate sacrifice in service to their homeland. A
heavy mist shrouds the majestic old tree, watching
over our fallen on Memorial Day 2011.
(Photo by John H. Walker)

Memorial Day an observance, not a holiday

The word "holiday" conjures up a trip to the beach, presents under the Christmas tree or hunting eggs while humming "Here comes Peter Cottontail."


It should not, however, cause one to think of American flags on graves in a cemetery or the playing of "Taps" or the firing of a 21-gun salute.


Memorial Day is not a holiday, yet thanks to members of Congress looking for a long weekend, it was moved from May 31 to the lasy Monday in May


Traditional observance of Memorial day has diminished over the years. Many Americans nowadays have forgotten the meaning and traditions of Memorial Day. At many cemeteries, the graves of the fallen are increasingly ignored, neglected. Most people no longer remember the proper flag etiquette for the day. Some people think the day is for honoring any and all dead, and not just those fallen in service to our country and some think it is a day for honoring veterans.

To help re-educate and remind Americans of the true meaning of Memorial Day, the "National Moment of Remembrance" resolution was passed on Dec 2000 which asks that at 3 p.m. local time, for all Americans "To voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a Moment of remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence or listening to 'Taps."

The Moment of Remembrance is a step in the right direction to returning the meaning back to the day. What is needed is a full return to the original day of observance. Set aside one day out of the year for the nation to get together to remember, reflect and honor those who have given their all in service to their country.

But what may be needed to return the solemn, and even sacred, spirit back to Memorial Day is for a return to its traditional day of observance. Many feel that when Congress made the day into a three-day weekend in with the National Holiday Act of 1971, it made it all the easier for people to be distracted from the spirit and meaning of the day.

As the VFW stated in its 2002 Memorial Day address: "Changing the date merely to create three-day weekends has undermined the very meaning of the day. No doubt, this has contributed greatly to the general public's nonchalant observance of Memorial Day."

Thankfully, Bogalusa and Washington Parish have not forgotten. No, there won't nearly be enough people at Ponemah Cemetery at 6 p.m. Monday, but those present will know why they are there and they understand the significance of the solemn observance.

When Hon. John Gallaspy recites "In Flanders Fields" there will be those who know and understand ... who form a mental picture of a poppy and a battlefield grave of rifle stuck in ground with helmet resting on the bayonet.

And when those haunting strains of "Taps" reach across the gardens of stone that make up Ponemah, others will feel their eyes grow damp as tears well up at the thought of a loved one who went away, never to return and there are the shudders that simply can't be willed away when the rifles sound in 21-gun salute, their retort bouncing off the pines.

I suppose it's hard for something so somber to compete with the start of summer ... hamburgers and hot dogs and a trip to the river or the beach ... and it should have never been placed in such a position.

But rather than bemoan that fact, let's be thankful for those who served so that those who may never understand what Memorial Day is all about will have the opportunity to do their thing ... because had they not given their all, we might not have the opportunity to gather in their honor.

Hooah ... hoorah ... huzzah ... Semper Fi ... and God bless.

(The segment on the creation of the three-day weekend around Memorial Day was taken from http://www.usmemorialday.org)

Bogalusa's Memorial Day observance set Monday

Beginning at 6 p.m. Monday at the new veteran's section at Ponemah Cemetery, local officials and citizens will gather to honor those who served their country.

One change, this year, is that local Boy Scouts will not conduct a retirement ceremony for American flags that have become soiled or torn. Instead, local Scouts will serve as the color guard for the ceremony.

Mayor Charles Mizell will deliver the official welcome to the observance and local attorney John Gallaspy will recite "In Flanders Fields," perhaps the best known of all poems relating to war.

The ceremony will be closed with the playing of "Taps" and the firing of a 21-gun salute by the honor guard of Magic City Post 24 of the American Legion.

The observance ceremony is open to the public and persons planning to attend are reminded of the need to bring a chair.

(Published first at http://www.wpnewsblog.com)

Scouts cleaning Ponemah, putting out flags

Members of local Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts will clean up Bogalusa's Ponemah Cemetery and place miniature American flags on the graves of those who served in the military.

The clean-up is expected to begin about 9 a.m. and the Boy Scouts will handle the clean-up while the Girl Scouts will place the flags in preparation for Monday's Memorial Day observation.