Honor and Remembrance on Memorial Day
By Mitch Traphagen
mitch@observernews.net
SUN CITY CENTER
- It was standing room only at the King’s
Point auditorium in Sun City Center on May 26. Memorial Day is a time to
remember, to give thanks to those who sacrificed everything for our country.
Hundreds of people came to do just that, they came to a ceremony to honor and to
remember.
The mournful wail of a lone bagpipe sounded the beginning of the procession. Men and women, all carrying flags, entered the auditorium to perform a serious task. They were to stand in the place of a veteran no longer with us.
The roll call of the departed was, for many, the focal point of the ceremony. As each name was called for a veteran who passed away during the last year, someone rose up and stood in their place holding a flag, facing the audience. Occasionally family members in the audience would also briefly stand upon hearing their loved one’s name.
There is no complete sentence able to describe the event. Words like service, solemn, honor, remembrance and gratitude all come to mind, all equally felt - all equally important. It was a living flag tribute for those who served their country, who risked and sacrificed for a better tomorrow.
Brigadier General Chip Diehl of the United State Air Force was the guest speaker. General Diehl is Deputy Director of Engagement, Plans and Policy at Central Command at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa.
The East Bay High School ROTC presented and retired the
colors (flag) during the ceremony.
The ceremony ended with bugler Anthony Sendrowski playing Taps. For the dozens of men and women who passed on during the year, and for the thousands who have gone before them, the trumpet sounded a final tribute. They may be gone, but they are not forgotten.