Remembering Those Who Gave Us Our Freedom
Jun 01, 2017 12:00AM ● By By Sheila LaPolla
Front Row Center: Don Lemmon, President, American Legion Riders(ALR) Chapter 383; to his right (in sports coat) is Jim Russell, Chaplain, VFW Post 6158 BACK ROW left to right: Mark Rice, Commander, American Legion (AL) Post 383; Dominick Damore, VFW member; Bill Heilmann (in Hawaiian shirt), Adjutant AL Post 383; Bob Rudge, Vice-President, ALR Chapter 383. -- Photo by AP Contreras
Riding down the “Avenue of the Flags”, the parade of American Legion Riders (ALR) roared onto the scene before the opening ceremonies of the nineteenth Annual Memorial Day Ceremony commenced, to the delight of the crowd of over 200, there to salute our fallen heroes.
The Memorial Day Ceremony was held May 27, 2017, at the Fair Oaks Cemetery, 7780 Olive Street, Fair Oaks. Hundreds of flags lined the roadways of the cemetery deemed “The Avenue of Flags.”
This year’s theme was to remember the 100th year Anniversary of the United States entry into the “Great War” and to honor our Veterans of World War 1, of whom there are eighty-six buried in the Fair Oaks Cemetery.
The Memorial Day ceremony opened with an Invocation prayer followed by heartfelt speeches by our local dignitaries reflecting upon the ultimate sacrifice given by our fallen heroes.
Master Sergeant Josh Baker, the First Sergeant of the 222nd Intel Support Sq. from Beal AFB, was the honored speaker for the ceremony. He eloquently implored us to not only remember the valor of men and women who died in combat, but also those veterans who answered that noble calling to serve the people of the United States who die in hospitals and nursing homes everywhere, every day.
MSgt Baker closed his speech with a reading of “In Flanders Fields” poem by Lt Col. John McCrae, Canadian Army WW1; paying homage to the 100 year anniversary of when the United States entered World War 1.
After placing of the wreath, Boy Scouts Troop 380 filed around the flagpole and lowered and removed the present United States flag and raised a new flag, one that had flown over our nation’s capitol.
A wreath was placed by members of Fair Oaks American Legion (AL) Post 383 and Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 6158 in honor of over eighteen hundred veterans who are buried in the cemetery.
The Memorial Day ceremony concluded with a closing prayer.
Let us preserve the memories of our fallen veterans who so valiantly gave the ultimate sacrifice and not take for granted our soldiers who still give of themselves for the freedom we enjoy today.
