Always Remember
While thunderstorms and rain may have forced the Montgomery County Veterans Memorial Court of Honor Memorial Day Services inside, the weather outside was unable to subdue a fiery keynote address.
Col. Dave Lewis spoke to a crowd of about 300 people inside the Red Oak High School gymnasium during a ceremony in which 24 additional service flags were added to the Court of Honor.
Col. Lewis said true soldiers only commit one act of true bravery and courage.
“The day a warrior takes an oath is their last act of bravery,” he said. “Everything else they do is their duty and just part of the job.”
However, he encouraged those in attendance to follow five points to help honor that sacrifice every soldier makes.
First, he encouraged everyone to “be American.” He recalled a conversation he had with a friend who lived overseas who commented he could pick out American tourists by the way they walked and looked everyone in the eye.
“That (looking everyone in the eye) is typically something reserved for royalty,” Lewis said. “People who are used to being ruled by a dictator don’t do that.”
Secondly, he encouraged everyone to take responsibility for their own actions and to be prepared to suffer the consequences of those actions.
“The constitution doesn’t guarantee us happiness,” he said. “It guarantees us the right to pursue happiness.”
Next, he urged everyone to “do something.”
“We were all put here to make more than we take,” he said. “America is completely unsustainable unless we create.”
Fourth, he stressed the importance of making mistakes, recounting the many times Henry Ford failed before he succeeded in building one of America’s largest automobile producers.
Finally, Lewis said to be great.
“You can try to be something to everyone, or everything to someone,” he said. “It takes true sacrifice to be everythingto someone.”
Lewis concluded his speech with a pledge to the many veterans who have sacrificed their lives in defense of this country.
“I plan to spend the last of my days earning the gifts these great warriors have given to me that I so little deserve.”
With the addition of 24 more flags, the Court of Honor is now the caretaker for 1,397 service flags.
Veterans whose flags were honored this year include (as well as branch of service and era served): Herman Abraham, Merchant Marine, WWII; Ross Armentrout, Army, WWII; Bruce Artherholt, Iowa Army National Guard, peacetime; John Bailey, Navy, Korea; Darrell Behrens, Iowa Army National Guard, peacetime; Glenn Binns, Navy, WWII; John Binns, Army, Korea; John Carmichael, Army, Vietnam; Cecil Clark, Army, WWII; William Fort, Navy, WWII; Richard Freeburg, Army, Korea; James Isaac, Navy, Vietnam; Sheldon Jones, Navy, WWII and Korea; James Logan, Army, WWII; Roger Moore, Army, Vietnam; Arvid Peterson, Army, Korea; Warren Rolofson, Army, WWII; Eugene Roof, Army, Vietnam; Franklin Roof, Navy, Vietnam; Donavon Thoren, Army, WWII; Lavon Thoren, Army, Korea; Dale Watt, Navy, WWII; Charles Wilson, Army Air Corp., WWII.