Memorial Day services honor fallen vets

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Area veterans’ organizations celebrated Memorial Day on Monday, with Van Wert veterans foregoing the traditional Memorial Day ceremony at Woodland Cemetery for a ceremony held at Memorial Park. Unfortunately, threatening rain changed those plans as well, moving the memorial ceremony inside American Legion Post 178.

A large crowd attended the ceremony, which featured the laying of the traditional wreaths and a message by the Rev. David Ray of Jennings Road Church of Christ.

Ray, whose son, Josh, is in the U.S. Marine Corps completing basic training at Parris Island, S.C., and getting ready for a permanent assignment, talked about his pride in his son, but also told about the Biblical Joshua, for whom his son is named. Pastor Ray noted that that Joshua, although a soldier all his life, still talked about his God on his deathbed, and not the horrors of war.

Pastor Ray also said that, when Joshua sent his 12 spies into the “Promised Land” of Israel, which was inhabited at the time by hostile Canaanites, he had each of them take a stone from the river and place in a pile by the river so that Israelites could look at them and remember God’s promise to give them the land they were entering.

The local pastor then took out some “stones” of his own – photos that remind him of his marriage 25 years ago and another that helps him remember his mother, who was killed in a car crash when he was 15.

Pastor Ray also read a letter he found in his son’s room that was not supposed to be read unless Josh died in battle. In the letter, Josh Ray talked about how he hoped his parents would forgive him for anything he had done that had disappointed them, while also noting that he was “in a better place” after death because of his faith in God.

The local pastor said in conclusion that he hoped that those attending the memorial service had some “stones” of their own to remember those they loved, and asked them to remember those who have gone before.

A small instrumental ensemble also played patriotic music during the ceremony, while Paul Hoverman also played “Taps” after the 21-gun salute fired off by the combined color guard of Legion Post 178 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5803.

Memorial services were also held in Ohio City and Willshire, where a museum of military uniforms and other memorabilia could be seen at Willshire Home Furnishings.