American Legion Post 49 of Warsaw had its annual Memorial Day ceremony on Monday, May 29, at Oakwood Cemetery in Warsaw. At the end of it, Post 49’s Honor Guard did a gun salute.

Text and Photos
By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — Unity and the value of family and faith are lessons that civilians can learn from veterans.

The Salvation Army of Warsaw Corps Administrator Envoy Ken Locke shared these thoughts at the American Legion Post 49 of Warsaw’s Memorial Day ceremony at Oakwood Cemetery in Warsaw on Monday, May 29.

Locke, himself a Vietnam veteran, said it was his father, a World War II veteran, that taught him those lessons. He shared his father gradually opened up to him about his war experiences.

“He always shared with me, the people you are serving with are the most important at that moment,” said Locke. “The person next to you is the most important person at that time … You have to be willing to lay down your life for that person.”

“It didn’t matter that we were Democrats or Republicans, that we were farm kids or we were city kids, that we were rich kids or poor kids; he said none of that mattered at that point,” shared Locke regarding what his father taught him. “What mattered at that point was the mission and getting the job done. He said it was a relationship like no other.”

“May I just suggest to you that it might be a good idea for us as Americans to learn something from our combat veterans and our veterans in general?” noted Locke. “I would hope in America we could wake up and start realizing that we have much more in common than we do have differences, and I think it’s disgusting what is happening in our country right now with people who all they want to do is talk about the differences we have.”

“Why don’t we just talk about being Americans for awhile and get some of our problems solved?” said Locke.

He also mentioned his father taught him that Locke should never call him a “hero.”

“He always said to me the real heroes never came home,” said Locke.

Locke said something which he learned from both his parents was the value of mothers.

He said his father mentioned wounded soldiers would call out for their mothers.

When his father was wounded in Europe, “all (he) could think about was (his) mother and (he) wondered what she was fixing for dinner,” said Locke.

“The family is a foundation stone of American society,” he continued. “Part of what is going on is that a person is worried that their mother or father, spouse or friend will have to receive the visit (letting them know that someone they know was killed in action).”

Locke said people should honor the families of military members.

He said his father told him soldiers “would cry out to God” also.

“Not just when they were wounded or dying but many times in the middle of battle, they were crying out to God to help them in that situation,” he said.

“May I suggest something to you … we need to be very careful not to push God out of our society,” said Locke. “I never thought I would see it in my lifetime, but you see it happening.”

“Everything that we have, everything that we possess, everything that we have been given, has been given to us by the hand of our Creator, and we need to give honor and glory to Him,” he continued. “That is what has made America great. America is not great because we’re the smartest people in the world. To be honest with you, Americans aren’t the smartest people in the world sometimes, but we have been people of faith.”

“We have been people of blood, sweat and tears,” said Locke. “We have been people who have put our hands to the plow, and we’re going to make this place a better place than we found it … We need to take on this Memorial Day a time to thank God for what He has given us because we are so blessed, blessed beyond description, and it has come by the hands of our Creator and come by the service of our veterans.”

Along with Locke’s talk, those present at Monday’s ceremony heard a performance of patriotic songs by the Kosciusko County Extension Chorus. Post 49 Auxiliary President Kathy Breske read the names of local veterans who passed away in the last year.

Post 49 Commander John Mort and Major Fred Josellis, who heads up the Warsaw Community High School JROTC, placed wreaths in the cemetery by military memorials. Following that, Post 49’s Honor Guard did a gun salute followed by Post 49 Sons of the American Legion Treasurer Jim Patterson playing taps.

The Salvation Army of Warsaw Corps Administrator Envoy Ken Locke speaks during the ceremony.

Post 49 Commander John Mort talks.

The Warsaw Community High School JROTC presented the colors at the ceremony.

The Kosciusko County Extension Chorus directed by Dan Beam, center, performed before the official start of the ceremony.

Army veterans stand when the chorus performed their branch’s song during the “Armed Forces Medley.”

Mort, left, and Major Fred Josellis, who heads up the WCHS JROTC, salute after placing a wreath by one of the veterans’ memorials in the cemetery.

Post 49 Sons of the American Legion Treasurer Jim Patterson plays taps.