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Idaho Enterprise

Annual Memorial Day Commemoration Held; New Memorial Unveiled

Memorial Day is one of the most solemn days on the calendar, created to commemorate the sacrifices of soldiers and their families throughout the country’s history.  While many people use the holiday to mark the passing of all family members, its official purpose is to allow the country as a whole to give thanks to those in the branches of service who have passed on.  The Memorial Day service at the Malad City Cemetery this year provided a fitting tribute to those who are gone but not forgotten.

After an introduction by Post Service Officer Gene Caldwell and an invocation by Post Chaplain Larry Nalder, the ceremony was turned over to Bob Stokes, who presented the new memorial bell next to the podium.  The memorial was created by local artist Doug Adams, and features a bell, which will be rung every Memorial Day to commemorate Oneida County veterans who have passed away in the year since last May.  The foundation for the bell was the culmination of Levi Balappa’s Eagle Scout project.  He was assisted by Marshall Asay and Paden Neilson. 

Becky Moss and chorus of singers, accompanied by Trudy Ward, brought music to the occasion with a selection of songs, including the Woody Guthrie standard “This Land is Your Land.”

The featured speaker of the morning was veteran and current Superintendent of Schools for District 351 Jon Abrams.  Abrams, who also has three children who have served, spoke to the crowd about the special nature of the observance.  “I woke up early—around five o’clock this morning and drove up here to the cemetery looking for flags,” he began. “And even though I haven’t been here for a long time, I recognized a lot of the names.  There were those from the Iraq war I served with, and those whose families I have met since moving here.”

Abrams recounted the experience of delivering the news of a family member’s passing and the solemnity and difficulty of the moment, as well as the process of bringing a family member home to the airport and then the cemetery.  Abrams highlighted the emotion of the playing of “Taps” at such services.

“It’s not something that happened in the past.  It’s something that is happening today,” he said.  “I would like to suggest to you some of what the fallen soldiers might say to us today.  Here’s what I think they might say: ‘Respect our great country that is built on differences.  Respect it and embrace it—it’s what makes this country great.  We’re not defined by one race, one religion, one political party, one state.  We are the United States of America.  One nation, under God.  I think they would tell you to express gratitude to those who are serving now.  While today is not the day that we honor them, we live in troubled times.  More will be asked of us.  More young men, more young women will be asked to go overseas to defend the freedoms we enjoy here.  I think they’d tell you to remember the fallen.  Common men and common women, asked to do uncommon and courageous things to defend the freedoms we enjoy.

Most of all, I think they’d tell you to live.  Go camping, today.  Go fishing, go golfing, go shopping—whatever it is that makes you happy on this day.  That’s what they defended this country so that you could do.  And then, and last, have a prayer of gratitude in your heart.  That is what they died for.  We live in the most special place.  We are one nation under God.  It didn’t come free. Let’s support it, let’s defend it, let’s love it.  And when time comes, let’s defend it.”

The morning ceremony ended with a 3 shot salute by the American Legion and the playing of “Taps.”