Fulton County Veterans Honor Guard Commander Joe McElfresh, far left, and from left Honor Guard members Juan Sanchez, Steve Fishburn, Victor Mitchell, Ed Richardson, Jeff Beattie and Ray Boardman stand at attention during the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1343’s and American Legion Post 36’s Memorial Day ceremony on Sunday, May 19, outside the Fulton County Courthouse.

Text and Photos
By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

ROCHESTER — Attendees at Fulton County’s annual Memorial Day ceremony on Sunday, May 19, heard about the sacrifices of military members.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1343 and American Legion Post 36, both of Rochester, held a ceremony outside the Fulton County Courthouse.

One of the speakers was Rochester Army veteran Todd Bailey.

“I did 13 combat deployments in special operations (during the War on Terror), and I saw how fragile life was,” he said.

Bailey thanked Fulton County Veterans Honor Guard members “for being here today.”

“Had it not been for men like that, I could not have served my country in the capacity that I did,” he said.

“When I talk about how life is so fragile, it could be the difference from going left or going right or simply playing a game of rock-paper-scissors. The reason I’m standing here today is because I won a game of rock-paper-scissors,” explained Bailey.

He shared a sergeant asked Bailey and another serviceman to play rock-paper-scissors to see who would go on a mission. The other man won, said Bailey.

“Five minutes after the plane left, it was shot down, and everybody on it died,” said Bailey.

He noted people should also remember those who died via suicide or addiction on Memorial Day.

“We think about veterans when this holiday comes around, but it’s not just about that,” said Bailey. “It’s about anybody that you’ve lost and how they succumbed to what other demons that they dealt with.”

Rochester Mayor Trent Odell also spoke, sharing that he didn’t serve in the military himself, but had “mentors” who’d been drafted as service members.

Odell said they shared with him they were “pretty sure” they would die in combat when they got their draft notices.

“Yet they were willing to fight and die for my freedom, and that means something very, very special to me, and I try to instill that in my kids as well to value just that level of sacrifice,” said Odell.

VFW Commander Kurt Nichols also shared, noting that Memorial Day was “the one time of the year when it’s not just veterans that we thank that we appreciate their service, but it’s those who did not return.”

“Those who gave the last full measure of their devotion to their country and their people, more importantly to their homes and their families, because patriotism is not hating what’s in front of you,” he said. “It’s from loving who’s behind you, and so with that understanding we come and give them praise.”