VFW Post 12190, the Evans chapter of Veterans of Foreign Wars, held its fifth annual Memorial Day Remembrance Ceremony at the Evans Market Pavilion, Monday morning.
Like each yearly memorial service, this year saw a gathering of veterans and their families, honoring their fallen brothers and sisters in arms. They were accompanied by several local dignitaries, including Columbia County Board of Commissioners Chairman Doug Duncan and State Rep. Gary Richardson.
The ceremony was marked by a series of addresses, the first of which was District 4 Commissioner Allison Couch.
“Their courage and their selflessness have shaped the very soul of America and strengthened our democracy,” said Couch. “Behind every fallen hero is a family who carries the weight of their absence today, we honor not only those who served and sacrificed, but also the loved ones that they left behind.”
District 4 School Board member Katie Allen, who served in the Army for 10 years and was deployed to Iraq, gave a presentation drawing on the film “Saving Private Ryan,” underscoring the last words of Cpt. Miller—Tom Hanks’ character in the movie.
“Strengthen your morals, and you will strengthen this nation,” Allen said. “In doing these things we can fulfill the words of Abraham Lincoln at Gettysburg, that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation, under God shall have a new birth of freedom. I challenge us all to live simply, live humbly, live honorably, and together we can live every day to strengthen this nation and ‘earn this.’”
Bill Patterson, Vietnam veteran and author of the book “Vietnam Convoy Trucker,” read a passage from the memoir, in which he recalled learning of the death of Spc. Roy W. Miller Jr. of Augusta, who died while serving in 1968.
“On Memorial Day, I’m sure the other folks also think about Roy… but it tells us something about war,” said Patterson. “A lot of good people die in war, and I pray for our country that we will try as best we can to avoid war at all costs.”
Skyler Andrews is a reporter covering business for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
