For Those Who Ensured Our Freedom

On Monday, many community members came together at the Encampment Cemetery to be a part of a Memorial Day tradition.

Memorial Day was first celebrated under the name of Waterloo on May 5, 1866. From there it spread across the nation. On May 5 1868, General John A. Logan created Declaration Day which was to be held on the 30th of May. Then, in 1971, Memorial Day as we know it was made a federal holiday to be held on the last Monday of May.

A ceremony, put on by VFW post 1625, was held in honor of the holiday. Leading the ceremony was Jason Cambell along with Robert “Bob” Herring, D’Ron Cambell, and Phil Welsh. After the official proceedings of the ceremony concluded, community members were welcomed to share a few words and leave wreaths and flowers at the base of the flagpole.

It was clear the Encampment community is very passionate about the remembrance of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. A moment during the ceremony that displayed this so clearly was when those in attendance joined together and sang “God Bless America” because Teense Wilford, who would normally sing, was not able to attend.

It was truly a heartwarming moment which appeared to make everyone there proud to be an American and thankful for those who have kept it that way.

Encampment mayor Shannon Fagan spoke with the Sun about the importance of holding such a ceremony. She believes it is of great importance to recognize those who have served and to take a moment to honor friends and family who gave everything for this country.

The VFW members running the ceremony afterwards stressed the importance of Memorial Day as a holiday. It is for veterans to remember their comrades and to remember that this nation is built upon sacrifice and we must honor those who were willing to pay the greatest price so that we preserve our freedom.

They also expressed their appreciation for all those who came and took time to pay their respects. They also spoke on how we as a nation are forgetting what Memorial Day is all about. It isn’t about the barbeques or the first camping trips of the year and it is definitely not about the mattress sales. It is about the men and women who made doing all of that possible and to remember that they gave everything so we can sleep safely.