Honor Park: Remembering those who served
Memorial Day is the time each year that Honor Park in Fort Oglethorpe holds an impressive event in remembrance of those who have served and those who have lost their lives in service to the United States of America.
Throughout the history of the U.S., well over a million military members have died in combat. Many more have died of war-related disease and others died later of combat-inflicted injuries.
In our area alone, the 1863 three-day Battle of Chickamauga resulted in 4,000 deaths and 25,000 wounded.
This year, the Honor Park event was held on May 14, sponsored by the Fort Oglethorpe Veteran and Citizen Council and the Fort Oglethorpe Police Department.
The Highland Pipes and Drums brought their special sound to the ceremonies. Speakers were historian Linda Moss Mines and Captain Carlton Stallings. The Catoosa County Sheriff’s Department Color Guard added to the solemn atmosphere and the deeply moving Killed in Action Ceremony was presented by Rolling Thunder TN 2.
The park’s founder, Fort Oglethorpe council member Paula Stinnett, says
the park continues to grow and draw people who need a quiet place to reflect on the sacrifices made by so many to help preserve the freedom of Americans and others.
Attending the ceremony was Fort Oglethorpe resident Harold Silcox. Silcox served two tours as a Marine in Vietnam. While he made it through the war himself, he watched men all around him lose their lives. The first death he witnessed was five hours after he arrived in Vietnam.
As men were killed during those first hours in Vietnam, says Silcox, their gear would be retrieved and piled up on the ship, not to
be wasted: canteens, first aid kits, extra ammunition, flashlights, compasses, Kbars. It wasn’t long before there were nearly 800 pieces of gear in the pile, representing lives snuffed out, lives that should be remembered.
War can “mess up your brain housing if you let it,” says Silcox.
That’s probably more true for those who have witnessed war firsthand, but war is an ugly thing to ponder for everyone, and remembering
and honoring those made the ultimate sacrifice is one way we can keep working toward a more peaceful world and make their sacrifices more meaningful.
Honor Park: A Tribute to Those Who Serve is located at 1 Cleburn St. in Fort Oglethorpe.