Memorial Day is a national holiday where we pause, remember and reflect on the men and women who sacrificed their lives in service for their country. Jeff Donald of the Greater Starkville Development Partnership’s Military Affairs committee wrote this blog post to explain the importance of the holiday and what our community does to honor our fallen soldiers.
Memorial Day is observed on the fourth Monday in May each year and honors our military men and women who died in combat. Oktibbeha County erected a new granite monument in 2013 after Taylor McDavid and Courtland Kennard’s deaths, which list 92 names of those killed while serving on active duty in America’s wars from World War I to the present. As one gazes at the monument and reads the names, he or she cannot leave without recognizing the name of a person or family among those listed. For example, some will recognize the name John Retherford from WWI; Jessie Kellum, Thomas Critz and Felix B. Long from WWII and whose names can also be found on the Mississippi State campus. Other names include Charles A. Hamill from the Korean War; Robert H. Bennett and William N Johnson from the Vietnam War and Taylor McDavid the last name to be added to the monument from the Global War on Terrorism.
On Memorial Day I also pause to remember ones who died while serving in our military in peacetime. One Starkville native, Edward Johnson, wanted to serve his country and joined the Army. Unfortunately, he died in a training river crossing accident. Personally, I vividly recall and will never forget three young soldiers in my company who died in different accidents while in Germany. They, like others, gave their lives for our country and will always be remembered by their families, friends and especially those they served with them. I will always remember their faces and will never forget them as I will remember them on this Memorial Day.
We honor a third group, those who served in war and peace, who came home, and later passed. All one has to do is to go out to Odd Fellow Cemeteries and Memorial Gardens and look at all the flags that cover the graves of those who served our nation. The graves house those who died in wartime service, those who died in peacetime service and some who served our great country and were able to return home.
In the Starkville cemeteries, I can walk along the rows of graves looking down and finding names like Judge John Frasier who served in the 15th Air Force as a turret gunner aboard a B-24 Liberator in 35 combat air missions over Europe in WWII. Ed Springer, an Engineer and Glover Tripplet, an Infantry Officer in the 2nd Infantry Division. Both fought in the Korean War. I loved talking with Glover as we shared our memories of Korea as I also served twice in the 2nd Infantry Division in Korea in peacetime.
Finally, I think of my father Charles Donald who served in combat in WWII in the Navy. I also had an uncle who served in Europe during WWII. Charles Flynn, an Infantry Second Lieutenant, landed on a D-Day beach and was wounded but came home. They served, fought and came home. On this Memorial Day I will remember them.
This year the Greater Starkville Development Partnership’s Military Affairs Committee will commemorate Memorial Day on Monday, 26 in front of the Oktibbeha County Court House at 11 AM. I hope that everyone will help remember why we commemorate Memorial Day and its importance and choose to attend.
