Memorial Day remembrances in Cove

By PAMELA GRANT
Cove Leader-Press

While it’s important to remember and honor those who have given their lives so that all Americans can enjoy their everyday freedoms, Memorial Day serves as a special day to remember and honor those brave men and women in the armed forces who died while serving their country.

Star Group-Veterans Helping Veterans (SG-VHV) hosted a Memorial Day wreath-laying ceremony at their headquarters in Copperas Cove. Several veteran organizations from the surrounding areas, including SG-VHV, TREA Retired Enlisted Association, Military Order of the Purple Heart chapter 8176, Operation Stand Down Central Texas, The Women’s Army Corps Veterans’ Association chapter 94, Disabled American Veterans chapter 29, Veterans Advisory Committee, and VFW post 9191 were at the event to honor those who fell in the line of duty with their own wreaths.

“Memorial Day isn’t just about honoring vets, it’s about honoring those who lost their lives. Veterans had the fortune of coming home,” said Mayor Frank Seffrood, who was present at the wreath laying.

Along with the veteran groups, several community leaders, Rabbit Fest Royalty, active duty and their family, as well as civilians also attended the event.

Anthony Triola, Fort Hood field representative for Congressman John Carter, served as the guest speaker for the event

“Freedom is not bought cheaply. It has a cost…Each soldier, sailor, airman, and marine died for us—died for a cause they considered more important than their own life. As we honor their memory today, we must pledge that their lives and their sacrifices will be remembered long after the speeches are made and the flags lowered and folded,” said Triola.

“If you know a gold star family, please find it in your heart today to embrace them. Pray for them. Remember them. We are one people, one community, one great and grateful nation. We are all of these things because of the few who gave their all.”

Earlier that morning, members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 8577 and Auxiliary also hosted a Memorial Day wreath-laying ceremony.

“As long as two comrades survive – so long will the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States render tribute to our heroic dead,” said Willie Fields, the Post Commander. “Our presence here is in solemn commemoration of all these men – an expression of our tribute to their devotion to duty, to their courage and patriotism. By their services on land, on sea, and in the air they have made us their debtors-for the flag of our nation still flies over a land of free people.”

For the ceremony, members of the VFW placed symbols for remembrance, purity, devotion and everlasting remembrance, an emblem of eternity, and an emblem of the nation onto their wreath.

Fields says that their ceremony proves their thanks to those who gave their lives to keep our country safe. Fields served 24 years in the military reaching the rank of first sergeant. Fields fought in the Vietnam War and said that he’s glad that the public recognizes soldiers in a much more positive way compared to when he served.

Bonnie Henderson, the current Ladies Auxiliary president, said that most of her family has served in the military. She lost her grandfather in WWII and her oldest uncle died from wounds received in WWII. Her father was a WWII veteran and her husband is a Vietnam veteran. Henderson herself joined the military in 1973.

“We’ve all lost people,” said Henderson. “As veterans, we appreciate people remembering those vets.”