Solon Economou

Veterans Day ceremonies held on mid-Cape

On Veterans Day I had the honor of participating in our Cape Cod AMVETS Post 333 ceremony at Merrill Park in West Dennis.  This was one of five local Veterans Day ceremonies hosted by the AMVETS.  The other four included laying of wreaths at Benjamin Baker's Grave, Swan Lake Cemetery; SSG Doane Memorial, Dennis Port Library; Veterans Park, Dennis Port; and the Dennis Town Hall Cemetery, South Dennis.

The Merrill Park ceremony was held at exactly 11 o'clock in the morning, to correspond with the annual Veterans Day (formerly Armistice Day) ceremony held at Arlington National Cemetery.  It commemorates the 11^th hour of the 11^th day of the 11^th month in 1918, when the WWI Armistice was signed. 

Present at the service were members of the AMVETS, VFW, American Legion, and Marine League, from WWII and more recent and current wars.

Guest speaker, Air Force Colonel Charles Carroll, said, "Today should be a day for all to pause, reflect, and thank our veterans who have given us what we have today.  They are the reason our children can live as children, without being stripped of their innocence by extremist organizations.  Our veterans are our loved ones who have sworn to protect this nation against all enemies, both foreign and domestic.  Today we salute all our veterans and their noble commitment."

Tens of thousands of similar ceremonies across the nation were held on Veterans Day to honor the veterans of all wars, past and present.  Some of the vets of these wars were present, some never came home-their bodies long buried in far-off fields, and others, like the survivors of "The Greatest Generation" of WWII, are dying off at the rate of about 1,500 per day. 

It seems little that we do to honor them in holding these ceremonies on Veterans Day, and on Memorial Day, but honor them and remember them we do.  The greatest tribute we can pay them is the way we carry on with our own lives and with the freedom they have given us.  As the dying Captain told Private Ryan of those who fought and died to save him, in Spielberg's award-winning movie, "Earn it."

That is our greatest tribute to them for their sacrifice.  For us to "earn it."