Memorial Day program held in front of courthouse
In honor of those who lost their lives in service of our country, a Memorial Day ceremony was held in front of the Oktibbeha County Courthouse on Monday morning to remember and honor those who have given the ultimate sacrifice.
As an every year tradition, Mayor Lynn Spruill steps up to the podium in front of the courthouse every Memorial Day to read the 1915 poem ‘In Flanders Fields' written by Canadian officer and surgeon John Mccrae during the Battle of Belgium of the first World War, which helped popularize the red poppy as a symbol of remembrance.
“In Flanders fields, the poppies blow. Between the crosses, row on row. That mark our place; and in the sky. The larks, still bravely singing, fly. Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the dead. Short days ago, we lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, loved, and were loved, and now we lie in Flanders fields,” the poem reads. “Take up our quarrel with the foe: to you from failing hands we throw. The torch: be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die, we shall not sleep, though poppies grow in Flanders fields.”
When he was an early teenager, it was hard for Oktibbeha County District 3
Supervisor Marvell Howard to understand why someone would give up their comfort, their home, leave their family, and ultimately give their life to protect people they would never know.
But while taking the oath to join the military in 1978m it became clear to him that it is an obligation to do his part in ensuring those comforts for Americans.
“So many have given so much to preserve our way of life, and we must never take the things that we enjoy for granted,” said Howard. “President John F. Kennedy once said, ‘The price of freedom is always high, but Americans have always paid it.' So on behalf of Oktibbeha County and its Board of Supervisors, we will be forever grateful to those men and women who gave all they had to give.”
This year's Memorial Day program keynote speaker was Col. Andrew S. Rendon of the National Guard. Col. Rendon is the Director of Planning and Assessment in the Division of Student Affairs at Mississippi State University, and was responsible for establishing the Sonny Montgomery Center for America's Veterans, which he led for six years.
Currently, Col. Rendon is serving as the 185 ECAB Brigade Commander, and is also a combat senior aviator qualified in the UH60 and LUH 72.
For the colonel, being able to speak during Monday's Memorial Day program is an honor he is incredibly grateful for.
Having grown up and having a lot of memories in Starkville, speaking during Monday's program was “somewhat visceral.”
“At some point, I remember learning about Memorial Day and the significant distinction between it and other days in which we celebrate and honor our men and women in uniform,” said Col. Rendon. “Working for Dean Mike White, a decorated Vietnam veteran and National guardsmen, just about the same time every year, we would have a discussion about the importance of this day and ensuring that it was reserved for honoring and memorializing those men and women who had paid the ultimate sacrifice.”
Col. Rendon then begged the question as to how Americans honor and pay their respects to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice, which is a question he believes many Americans have asked.
“Many of us will take part in very similar celebrations, like the one we have here, and talk about the importance of honoring our fallen heroes,” said Col. Rendon. “Speeches, like mine, will offer suggestions, ideas, calls to action to