{"id":206243,"date":"2026-05-25T18:59:06","date_gmt":"2026-05-25T23:59:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/?p=206243"},"modified":"2026-05-26T20:46:32","modified_gmt":"2026-05-27T01:46:32","slug":"memorial-day-remembering-the-meaning-of-the-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/2026\/05\/25\/memorial-day-remembering-the-meaning-of-the-day\/","title":{"rendered":"Remembering the meaning Memorial Day"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

SCOTT TRUXELL\/<\/strong>independent editor<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Memorial Day \u2013 to some, it\u2019s an extended weekend, a time for road trips, family gatherings, barbeques etc. To others, it has a different meaning, one that must not be forgotten.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During Monday\u2019s Van Wert American Legion Post 178 Memorial Day ceremony at Woodland Cemetery, Past Commander Bill Marshall noted that while gatherings and cookouts and other plans are fine, it\u2019s important to remember those freedoms were guaranteed and rendered with the sacrifices of many lives lost.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Paul Hoverman plays Taps on his trumpet, while American Legion Post 178 Past Commander Bill Marshall offers a salute. Bob Barnes photos<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Marshall, a United States Air Force and Vietnam veteran, was the designated speaker during Monday\u2019s brief ceremony, which was well attended on a somewhat cool and crisp morning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe must continue to remember the unseen and unspoken wounds of soldiers who return and carry those wounds in silence,\u201d he said. \u201cKeep them in your prayers along with the mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, wives and children of a fallen soldier who gave their life for our freedom. To them we give our undying gratitude.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThose veterans who served our country wrote a blank check for their service up to and including their own life to keep our country safe and free,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marshall, who was born and raised in Van Wert, recalled his first visit to Woodland Cemetery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI can remember coming with my parents when I was six years old,\u201d he said. \u201cI remember we were going to visit our family\u2019s plot and the plethora of flags that were waving and I said to my dad \u2018dad, what\u2019s going on?\u2019 and he explained to me what that was all about \u2013 about the people who had given service to their country and this was a way of honoring that service.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s as clear in my mind as the day I was there and I think I held that inside me for a long time,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He thanked Legionnaires, Auxialiary and Sons members, along with scouts and others for recently helping to place flags on the graves of approximately 2,100 soldiers at Woodland Cemetery. He noted that with their combined efforts, it took roughly two hours to place all of the flags.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marshall also explained that Memorial Day was originally called \u201cDecoration Day\u201d with roots that go back approximately 150 years to when Union and Confederate soldiers gathered to decorate the graves of their fellow soldier and remember their service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt a certain point in the 20 century, the two Civil War combatants merged their observance into what we now call Memorial Day,\u201d he explained. \u201cIt is said that this time honored ceremony of remembering the fallen soldiers goes back to the time of ancient warriors.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also touched on Post 178\u2019s efforts to expand the Veterans Park \u201cWalk of Honor\u201d, directly outside the Legion post on W. Main St., noting it has approximately 10 monuments honoring service members from various wars and conflicts, along with first responders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mark Ruckhouse delivered the invocation and benediction, and Monday\u2019s ceremony also included the American Legion Riders, music by the Town Creek Brass, the traditional wreath laying, the playing of Taps and a 21-gun salute. Afterward, those in attendance were invited to a luncheon at Post 178.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other services took place around the area on Monday, including one by Harvey Lewis Post 346 in Ohio City.<\/p>\n\n\n

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A 21-gun salute was fired durng Monday’s ceremony. Many volunteers worked to place flags on graves of those who served. Bob Barnes photos<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

SCOTT TRUXELL\/independent editor Memorial Day \u2013 to some, it\u2019s an extended weekend, a time for road trips, family gatherings, barbeques etc. To others, it has a different meaning, one that must not be forgotten. During Monday\u2019s Van Wert American Legion Post 178 Memorial Day ceremony at Woodland Cemetery, Past Commander Bill Marshall noted that while […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-206243","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-07-07 02:32:44","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/206243","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=206243"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/206243\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":206312,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/206243\/revisions\/206312"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=206243"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=206243"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=206243"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}