A special Memorial Day ceremony was held Monday, May 29, at Veteran Circle in Greenlawn Cemetery.
The Mvskoke National Honor Guard performed the Raising of the Colors and the Three Volleys to honor those who fought for America’s freedoms and are no longer with us today.
A beautiful flute rendition of the Star Spangled Banner was performed by Band Dir. Ashley Hackler and Class of Checotah band member Alyssa Quimby and organizer Jean Gawf led the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Pastor Mark Watson from the First United Methodist Church of Checotah offered the remembrance prayer as those who were grateful bowed their heads in thanks for the sacrifices made for our country.
Oklahoma State Senator Roger Thompson was the special speaker and shed light on the reality of the cost of freedom.
“Memorial Day is a day that most people are traveling to spend the day with family but if you go back in history it was right after the Civil War that folks decided it was time to start decorating the graves of those who had paid the ultimate price for our freedom. For the first few years big crowds came down but then after a while they had the same situation that we have today with folks saying let’s just have family reunions and let’s do other things on this holiday.
“But I want to talk about what Memorial Day really means and what it should still mean today. Last fall I had the opportunity to be in Washington, DC. I had a meeting at the Pentagon. While I was there I was able to go over to Congress and simply walk the halls of Congress and as I read documents that aren’t readily available to the public I began to realize that when this country it was founded by men and women of great courage who were more interested in freedom than anything else. They were so interested in freedom that they banded together and said like Patrick Henry, ‘Give me liberty or give me death.’ These are the individuals that throughout all the wars still believe in American’s freedom and are willing to pay the price for that freedom.
“After I left the halls of Congress I went on to one of the most moving places I’ve ever been, Arlington Cemetery, where I watched the Changing of the Guard. As looked at so many graves of all the lives lost at the cost of our freedom, tears flooded my eyes with appreciation for their selfless acts of courage.
“Our greatest loss would have been the Civil War with 650,000 when we fought against each other. It was a tremendous time in our history when family fought against family. Then afterwards we started to come together, but then WWI and WWII came along, and the Vietnam and Korea War, and I remember walking through those memorials in Washington too. When I looked at the Vietnam Wall and I saw all the names on the wall it was surreal but when I saw a family member, gray headed, kneeling on the ground and weeping as they read the name on the wall then I really saw the price of our freedom is not just a name but a person and a loved one.
“The same controversies we dealt with during these wars are the same things we deal with today. Today our nation is divided between political parties, between ideologies and simply family against family. If the Civil War taught us anything, it should have taught us that a nation divided amongst itself will not turn out well. Maybe we haven’t learned the real price of freedom.
“There is a great article in the Daily Oklahoman today about Henry Kissinger who turned 100 on May 27 and still after all his diplomatic work said that the darkness period of his life was when he was working in the Vietnam War era and trying to bring peace forward. Now we understand the work of bringing peace back to America. As we sit under a shade tree in Checotah, OK looking at an American flag waving in the wind, we need to be reminded that America is still the greatest country in the world. We are the freest people in the world and it is because of the ultimate price that was given for us that took people out of this world. We stand today on hollow ground and remember the men and women that believed America was worth fighting and dying for. May we never, ever take that for granted as we are remember we are still ‘One Nation under God.’ For America today is still a country of the people and by the people and is for the people.”
After the speech, Jade McPeak recited the poem “A Toast to the Flag” and a young volunteer performed the Tolling of the Bells.
The ceremony ended with band member Alazander Ball performing “Taps” as those who came, stood to honor those who paid the ultimate price for America’s freedoms today.
Gawf thanked everyone for coming to the ceremony, especially the veterans. A special thank you went out to the Chamber for the use of the sound system and Mayor Daniel Tarkington who hauled and set up chairs.
