Resident shares cancelled program

Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor:

We Elsians were discouraged by being rained out and having our Memorial Day ceremony cancelled last Monday. It means a lot to our community. 

A few people asked to hear the speech, so I am glad that the Tribune is willing to print in part or whole the ceremony.

Elsie Memorial Day Program

Emcee: Jon Peterson

• Opening remarks: We join together this morning in the presence of God and amongst the monuments of those who have gone on before us. We come out of respect and out of love to honor them and remember the sacrifices they gave — to us, to our community, to our country and to the generations to come. 

This sacrifice not only protected our country but more importantly our freedoms. The freedoms that have been fought and died for since the Revolutionary War. 

May this ceremony today deepen your reverence for them. So, let us renew our loyalty to our Country and its Flag. 

• The flag is hoisted from half-mast.

• Prayer

• Tribute to veterans by Peterson: This cemetery hill here in Elsie has a great view. From it we see the Great Plains, where buffalo once roamed. It’s not hard to imagine them, although I miss the ones that Steve Hanson had. 

Not to mention, we all had the joy of driving here with the wheat up and that wind blowing. It blesses us for we get to see the waves of grain. We truly have a great country.

There have been several wars Americans have fought. They were fought for freedom and our inalienable rights. One of the most devastative wars was the Civil War. Americans fought Americans, brothers fought brothers and they were buried together. 

Not long after that war, “Declaration Day” was instituted on May 30, 1868. Its purpose—to place flowers and decorate the graves of those who died. Ever since, the tradition has continued and is now known as Memorial Day, and we commemorate the American military who died in all wars. 

 I find no better words than President Abraham Lincoln’s to express why these American’s sacrificed their lives, and why we honor them this day.

Gettysburg Address: Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. 

The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. 

It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. -Abraham Lincoln, Nov. 19, 1863

• Roll Call: I shall now give the Roll Call of our departed.

• Roll Call read.

• Moment of silence: We will take a moment of silence. For Congress has asked every citizen in our country to take exactly one minute in silence. 

So, in quiet respect we will pause together. As you do, quietly meditate and reflect, remembering the brave men and women who died serving this country. Please join me now.

• Rifle salute: We shall now salute the dead.

Detail Attention

Ready…Aim…Fire * Ready…Aim…Fire * Ready…Aim…Fire *

Present arms

• Taps by Makayla DaMoude

Detail order arms

Ceremony rest

• Closing statement: Thank you for joining us and making this a memorable day. This concludes our ceremonies and please enjoy the rest of your Memorial Day.

 

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