About 75 people attended Monday morning’s Memorial Day ceremonies at the Perry Performing Arts Center.[wpedon id=”82220″ align=”center”]
With Perry Mayor John Andorf presiding, the ceremony began with the posting of the colors by the Color Guards of the Perry Americnan Legion Post 85 and the Perry Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 2060. Dr. Randy McCaulley then led the audience in the singing of the “Star-Spangled Banner,” and American Legion Senior Vice Commander Mahlon Conaway led in the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance.
Among the highlights of the event was a ceremonial Roll Call and Answer for the 37 Perry-area veterans who have died since last Memorial Day. The Roll Call and Answer was performed by American Legion Post 85 Commander Ron Pratt and VFW Post 2060 Commander Ron Leber, with Mr. Steve Cook concluding by playing “Taps.”
Pratt also delivered a Memorial Day reading in which he honored 100 years of was dead by means of three examples, beginning with 1st Lt. Frank Luke Jr. of the U.S. Army Air Service. Luke was a World War I fighter ace and the first airman to receive the Medal of Honor. He died in France Sept. 29, 1918, at the age of 21. Luke was also awarded two Distinguished Service Crosses and the Italian Croce al Merito di Guerra.
Fifty years later saw the example of 1st Lt. Sharon Lane of the Army Nurse Corps, the only female military nurse to be killed by enemy gunfire during the Vietnam War. Lane was killed June 8, 1969, at the age of 25. She was awarded the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star, the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, the National Order of Vietnam Medal and the Vietnamese Gallantry Cross (with Palm).
A further 50 years brought Pratt to the end of his century-long tour, to April 3, 2018, when four U.S. Marines — Capt. Samuel Schultz, 1st Lt. Samuel Phillips, Gunnery Sgt. Richard Holley and Lance Cpl. Taylor Conrad — died when their helicopter crashed on a training mission in the Southern California.
The military funeral rite of presenting a folded U.S. flag to a veteran’s survivor was also demonstrated, with Leber explaining each of the flag’s 13 folds, one for each of the original 13 British colonies in North America.
Each fold also carries its own meaning, according to Leber. Some folds symbolize freedom, life or pay tribute to mothers, fathers and those who serve in the Armed Forces. When the flag is completely folded and tucked in, it takes on the appearance of a cocked hat, representing the soldiers who served under Gen. George Washington, the sailors and marines who served under Capt. John Paul Jones and the many who have followed in their footsteps.
McCaulley contributed further musical additions with renditions of “Shenandoah” and “American Anthem.”
Closing the ceremony with the firing of the three-round ceremonial gun salute were Pratt, Conaway, Leber and Legionnaires Zach Adams, Dana Hoffman and Nathan Hoffman, with Cook playing “Taps.”
