The last piece of the Memorial Day series reflects honor. Memorial Day is all about honor—honoring those that gave the ultimate sacrifice to protect our country. Many of our IU alumni I reached out to talked about friends, family, and battle buddies that they lost. You can feel the emotion in their words. It just reaffirms that what these soldiers do every day really is heroic. Not only do they put their life on the line, they lose people that they are so close with many times throughout their career.
I never really understood the bond that soldiers share until I went to my first Army ball last winter. The bond is unbreakable and something that I myself have never experienced. It is amazing. Soldiers have each other’s back no matter what and they will forever honor their fallen comrades. Below are some stories about what Memorial Day means from some of our IU alumni. They reflect the honor they feel for their fellow soldiers:
Rev. Joseph Angotti (Former Captain), BSW’85, IUPUI
“I served as an Army Chaplain in Iraq from 2004-2005. During that time, one of the soldiers who acted as altar server while my Chaplain Assistant was on R&R was shot and killed. His name was Joselito Villanueva. On Memorial Day, I wear a wristband with his name on it all day long.”
Daly Walker (Former Captain), MD’66, IUPUI
Daly Walker in front of the Veterans Memorial in Columbus, 2013
“Memorial Day provides an opportunity to thank all those who served their country, including Vietnam Veterans. It also affords me an opportunity to reflect on my own war experience and how it changed my life and to remember the wounded soldiers I treated.”
Bill Lawrence, (Retired Colonel), JD’79, IU Bloomington
“As a 30 year Air Force Veteran, the Memorial Day Holiday holds special significance to me. I see it as a special day that symbolizes America’s long standing commitment to “Honor” our brave men and women in uniform, who paid the ultimate price to keep us free! Additionally, Memorial Day is a time that causes me to reflect on something once said by President Ronald Reagan. In a 1961 speech to the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce, he said “… Freedom is not something that we can pass on to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected and handed on to them to do the same…”
Thomas Seifert (Colonel), BA’88, IU Bloomington
“For me personally, Memorial Day is a day when I reflect and honor several friends who have died while serving in the Armed Forces of the United States; Timothy Maude, Larry Baugess, Eric Kruger, Kenny Miller, Damian Wright, Kyle Russell, Molly McKenzie, Kip Taylor, and a great many more. As I go about my life, I pray there will be a better peace in the world because of what they gave up for all of us; that America is stronger because of their sacrifices, and I hope fewer sacrifices are required in the future. Memorial Day is a good opportunity to ask oneself, “was it worth it?” and “what can I do better to honor them?”
Lee Hutchinson (Retired Technical Sergeant), BS’49, MS’52, EdS’67, IU Bloomington
Technical Sergeant, Lee Hutchinson at age 19 after his 12th mission. He still wears his lucky Air Cadet ring.
“Memorial Day is a day to honor our fallen warriors and especially remember the 124,909 Americans buried in twenty-four United States cemeteries on foreign soil. World I left 30,921 graves in Europe and from World War II, 93,238 servicemen lie in England, Belgium, France, Italy and Pacific islands. They died fighting the Axis powers of Germany, Italy and Japan whose goal was to conquer the world. Their sacrifices saved freedom for our nation and many of the countries who now question our actions.”
Phil Hesson (Retired Lt. Colonel), BS’68, IU Bloomington
Lt. Colonel Hesson advising an Afghan Colonel
“The best memory I have of Memorial Day is when I had the honor of being the guest speaker at a VFW in Louisville, KY in the late 1980s while my father, a WWII veteran, was in attendance. It really helped me understand how important such a day can be.”
Terry Growcock, (Former Specialist 5), Former IU Student, IPFW
“We had seven young men die in Viet Nam from our county and I personally knew most of them. Honoring the ultimate sacrifice made for our great country and the freedoms we enjoy makes this one of the most emotional and powerful holidays we enjoy. I am proud of our country and those that served in some way since the country’s humble beginnings to today’s young men and women serving in the world’s most well equipped and trained military. In closing, earlier in my career, we lived several years in Arkansas where Memorial Day was not honored as a holiday as it was a “Yankee holiday”, but today, that too has changed and now everyone throughout the country honor our veterans.”
Christopher Burnham (Retired Lt. Colonel), JD’82, IU Bloomington
“I think often of all of my fellow Marines and Air Force comrades who died during the course of my career. Good friends were lost in the course of our training and expeditions, even when war was not active. Many had families and loved ones that they left behind. Some of them were never found, lost over the vast oceans, or vaporized in a collision with the earth. They sacrificed everything and served selflessly for others, expecting little in return. All service members sign a blank check when they sign up, in an amount payable up to and including their life in the service of the United States. Memorial Day is a time to reflect upon the sacrifices of those who have died, and to honor them and their families and loved ones in their memory. Many times I have walked the grounds of the Arlington National Cemetery among the fallen heroes with a heavy heart, yet still proud and honored to have served with them in this journey of life.”
Richard Blair, (Retired Colonel), BS’56, IU Bloomington
“First, Memorial Day (formerly known as Decoration Day) has nothing to do with those of us who serve(d) but escaped alive– it is a day to honor and remember those who perished while serving. While those of us living may swell with pride at the misplaced recognition, the honor and reflection is most properly aimed at our war dead and missing interred here in the US and world-wide in Europe and Asia. Veteran’s Day on November 11 (formerly known as Armistice Day/Poppy Day) is set aside to honor serving members, retirees and those honorably separated. I will spend part of Memorial Day visiting my wife, Janice, who was recently interred in the Arlington National Cemetery. Milton’s thought “…They also serve who only stand and wait.” could not be more appropriate when applied to service wives. Janice endured numerous moves–some to remote, isolated places–raised 5 children and worked outside the home to help keep us afloat. She is at rest and I am adrift.”
David Hull, (Former Captain), EdD’83, IU Bloomington
“Because of my family involvements dating from early in the history of the country, I volunteered to serve on active duty (could never have been drafted) and was commissioned as a Regular Army Officer. I served four years and one month on active duty after which I served in an active U. S. Army Reserve unit that was the backup and then replacement for the Selective Service System in case conscription would have needed to have been reinstituted.
While on active duty, I was the Command and Control Officer of a nuclear-capable missile site in the San Francisco Bay Area Air Defense System, served in Vietnam also as a volunteer, and served as the Adjutant of a Hawk (SP) Battalion.
I provide that personal active duty information only as a backdrop to note that, while on active duty and certainly more particularly during my time in Vietnam, I witnessed many acts of heroism which, at times, led to fatalities among my colleagues, superiors, as well as to those under my command.
Consequently for me, Memorial Day is the most important secular American holiday – because it honors those that made the ultimate sacrifice – those who gave their lives for our country.
In my experience – Memorial Day also is a somewhat misunderstood holiday.
I lived in the deep South for many years – and even in the late 20th century – some in the South did not acknowledge Memorial Day because its genesis was rooted in the Civil War (known then as Decoration Day). What apparently was lost on history was the fact that Decoration Day celebrated both Confederate and Union soldiers that lost their lives.
It also is confused sometimes with Veterans Day. Veterans Day celebrates all those that served in the armed forces of the United States, while Memorial Day is specifically dedicated to those that lost their lives.”
Sarah Sparks, IUAA staff and Blue Star Wife, BS’02, IU Bloomington
My husband, Matthew Sparks (on the left) at WLC.
“I never fully understood the importance of Memorial Day until I met my husband. I know that my mom and nanny always leave flowers on my grandfather’s grave on Memorial Day. He was an Air Force Veteran, but I still did not really “get it.” I just looked at it as an extra day off of work. Then I met my husband and my whole perspective of Memorial Day changed. I have heard stories from my husband of heroism, bravery, and loss. My husband has lost 2 of his closest friends and comrades to the war. I see how it affects him every day and how he really lives for them now. We talk about them often, him telling me stories of their times together deployed and stateside; both funny and serious. I have heard the story of how my husband’s best friend died in his arms. I have cried as my husband recounts how his friend’s daughter told him how he had tried his best to save her daddy. I see how he misses his friends every day. So Memorial Day is the most important day in which we honor them and keep them close to our hearts. So, in honor of SSGT Chainey and CPT Ross, you are never forgotten.”
This concludes our Memorial Day series. I hope you enjoyed reading the stories as much as I enjoyed receiving them. This was by far the most heartfelt project I have taken on and I am so happy that I was able to share this with you. I hope everyone has a wonderful Memorial Day today and I urge you to not forget what Memorial Day truly is about—remembrance, sacrifice, valor, and honor. It’s about making sure that the soldiers that fought for our country and died for our country are always in our hearts and in our minds, on Memorial Day and every day.