Students from Warsaw Community High School performed patriotic music before and during the event. (Photos by Amanda McFarland)

The Silver Lake Lions Club placed a wreath next to the memorial in Lakeview Cemetery.

SILVER LAKE — A small gathering took place this afternoon, Saturday, May 28, at Lakeview Cemetery, Silver Lake, to honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice while serving their country.

The Silver Lake Lions Club sponsored the event. Students from Warsaw Community High School performed the Star Spangled Banner, patriotic tunes and the official songs from each branch of the armed forces. Several veterans were present to pay homage to the fallen.

Pastor Kent Harting, Center United Methodist Church, briefly outlined the history of Memorial Day, then told stories of sacrifice from different times in history. The Lions Club had placed a wreath next to the veterans’ memorial as a reminder of those sacrifices.

Von Frieden salutes during the ceremony.

“It’s not about picnics, beaches or auto races,” Harting said in reference to Memorial Day, later adding, “they wrote a blank check to the United States of America for an amount up to and including their lives.”

This was the 17th year for the program and the fourth year that high school band students performed. The event always takes place at 1 p.m. the Saturday before Memorial Day, Carr said, and the entire community is invited to attend each year.

Pastor Kent Harting gives a brief message about Memorial Day.

Two of the veterans present were father and son, James and Von Frieden. James served with the U.S. Navy during World War II and Von served in the U.S. Army from 1981-2010. James was in Iwo Jima and Okinawa, Japan, and recalled a successful invasion he was a part of in Okinawa.

“We pulled a fake invasion on the other side of the ship,” he said. “The main force went in and took in a day what we thought would take a week because of that fake invasion.”

Von was in Afghanistan in 2010. “My unit was lucky,” he said. “Two were wounded but we all came home.”

Five have since passed away, all under age 35, Von said, and he has placed a memorial on his property in their honor.

“Like the pastor said, [Memorial Day is] not about cookouts and races,” he said. “It’s about all the ones who made the ultimate sacrifice.”

An estimated 200-250 veterans are buried in Lakeview Cemetery, according to cemetery board members.