TUESDAY, MAY 30, 2000
Remembering the dead and the dying
By Michelle Reiter
Staff Writer
After parade goers saw their last baton twirl and the last firetruck ease by, they milled towards Monument Square for the Memorial Day Court House Ceremony.
World War II veteran Archie Thomas, the keynote speaker of the day, told the crowd he'd been waiting 55 years to be in a Memorial Day parade and finally made it.
This achievement is especially important, he said, as World War II veterans are dying at a rate of 1,000 per day.
But that number is nothing, he noted, compared to the number of Americans who have given their lives for America in the history of the country: "1, 196, 612 have lost their lives defending this country," Thomas said, noting that the Civil War had the highest number of casualties, beating World War II by 150, 000.
But the main thrust of Thomas's speech centered around the "unknown warriors," whom he identified as the millions of people waiting in the United States during the wars.
"Many of us serving were not fully aware of the unknown warriors at home," he said. "We didn't see the rationing, recycling, the victory gardens."
He expressed gratitude to all the people on the homefront in behalf of all the veterans.
Thomas also said that his military experience gave him valuable training and life lessons that young people today could benefit from, lessons that gave his generation greater stability. One of the most important of these lessons is self-discipline, he said.
Among other skills, he cited mastering one's job or profession, the ability to get along with people and the ability to make the right decisions quickly based on the facts.
"Wars taught lessons such as these," he said.
After his speech, families of recently deceased veterans were honored with red carnations and a helium balloon which was released into the air.
Then all veterans and civilians were dispatched to the mess tent where a meal of eggs, sausage, biscuits and gravy and fried potatoes were served free of charge -- veterans first, of course.