Family and friends came out to pay their respect to the military men and women of this country who gave of their time and talents in helping to keep this nation free.
It was a busy Monday, May 29, with Memorial Day ceremonies beginning at 9 a.m. at the Maple Valley Hobart Cemetery. Maple Valley/Black Diamond Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 5052 conducted a simple ceremony that included a three-volley rifle salute as well as a live bugler, Jack Patin, from American Legion Post 15 sounding Taps.
In his message, Past Commander Brian Combs told the story of Medal of Honor Recipient, Captain Lance P. Sijan of the Air Force, 4th Allied POW Wing. While flying over North Vietnam on November 9, 1967, he was forced to eject from his disabled aircraft. Then for more than 6 weeks he evaded capture despite serious injuries. Once captured, he managed to overpower one of his guards and escape into the jungle again even though he was in a weakened condition. Several hours later he was recaptured and kept in solitary confinement. Tortured while being interrogated, he never divulged any information. Although he eventually lapsed into delirium, it was while he was in and out of consciousness that he never complained of his physical condition. Until his death in the infamous prison known as the Hanoi Hilton in January 1968, he spoke of future escape attempts.
VFW members moved on to Black Diamond Cemetery where they performed the same ceremony for the Black Diamond community at 10:30 a.m. Taps was sounded this time by Nathaniel Lackey of Troop 517. A beautiful floral wreath was donated for the occasion by community members Judy Watson and Tamie Deady.
Final ceremony of the day was held at Tahoma National Cemetery (TNC) beginning at 1 p.m. However, just a few days before the ceremony, Tahoma School District freshman loaded up on buses and made their way to the cemetery in order to place approximately 25,500 flags at every grave stone, memorial marker and every column of names on the columbarium walls. When the students began this eye-opening experience in academic year 2002-2003, they had raised the funds in order to purchase 12,000 flags. Today there are over 50,000 interments (which include not only the Veteran in many sites, but their spouse as well) at the cemetery with an ever-increasing number as more heroes are laid to rest.
Then as the community gathered and were waiting for the ceremony to begin, friends of Flowers by Robin of Maple Valley were handing out 300 red, white and blue bouquets made up of roses, carnations and poms. Owner Robin’s father is a Veteran and this is the second year she has honored him and all Veterans by handing out the bouquets.
While the bouquets were being given out, a young man, Brody Rees from Pack 76 was auditioning to be a bugler for the cemetery. Passing with flying colors, the 10-year old will be sounding Taps for funerals at the cemetery on the first Mondays and Tuesdays of each month. It was hard to know who was prouder – Brody or his Dad. But they both had big smiles for a job well done.
As the ceremony began, the crowd was treated to two flyovers – a WWII B-25 was the first to fly over. “Grumpy” was piloted by John Sessions, who wore a 501st patch on his flight suit to honor his father, who was a squad leader in the 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. His co-pilot was Paul Wallis, whose father was a B-25 Aircraft Commander at the closing stages of WWII. They also had a very special passenger, World War II Army Major Robert W. Meyer, who was a former Prisoner of War in Germany. He also served in the Air Force during the Korean War. His wife Phyllis is interred at the cemetery as well.
A second flyover took place with the King County Sheriff’s Department and their Guardian One Huey Helicopter. Pilots include Guy Herndon (Navy Veteran) and Hersh Hoaglan (Marine Veteran). The Air Unit just celebrated 25 years of serving the citizens of King County and the region.
Call to Colors was sounded by Fred Byzinker followed by Dayle Cantellay singing the National Anthem a cappella. The Issaquah Singers under direction of Dorothy Hay teamed up on several occasions with Gateway Concert Band under the direction of Jack Prindle singing and playing patriotic melodies such as God Bless America, America the Beautiful, The Liberty Bell March, and more.
Chaplin Dan Shaw, Lt. Commander Navy Reserve, was on hand giving the Invocation. Quoting Psalm 121 about lifting one’s eyes to the hills looking for help which comes from the Lord. He continued to pray regarding the sacrifices of the men and women on behalf of the nation with some sacrificing their all. He also prayed over the raising up of men and women for the Lord’s cause.
TNC Director Tom Yokes opened his remarks by acknowledging and thanking special guests including Pritz Navaratnasingam, Director of VA Regional Office Seattle, and Keith Allen Assistant Director VA Puget Sound Health Care System.
“Every minute, of every hour, of every day, Americans enjoy the blessings of a free nation,” Yokes went on. “Blessings protected by the selfless service of men and women in uniform standing watch over their nation ready to defend and protect us from evil at a moment’s notice.”
He spoke about the American citizens long ago who were called upon to defend this country against all enemies. He pointed out that, “Every single freedom and liberty we enjoy can be traced back to a battlefield.” – battlefields from Lexington/Concord to the mountains of Afghanistan.
Having lost over a million lives since this nation’s founding, he went on to say, “While we can never repay such a debt, we can honor their memory and pledge our love and support to their families and their brothers and sisters in arms who returned from war.”
After quoting Lincoln regarding binding up the nation’s wounds and caring for those who have borne the battles, Yokes spoke about the commitment of the Veteran’s Administration (VA) employees to the Veterans and their families with care being given in hospitals, national cemeteries and benefits offices across the country.
“On this day particularly, our hearts go out to them and to the spouses and loved ones of those whose lives have been changed forever by the untimely death of a Veteran in service to our nation,” said Yokes. “What we can do – and what we must do – is remember their loved ones and their sacrifice. We must remember what they did; why they did it; and appreciate what it means to us – personally and as a nation.”
After pledging to care for those putting their lives on the line to preserve this country’s freedoms, Yokes reminded everyone that at 3 p.m. they were to pause for one minute in remembrance of those who have given their lives in service to this country. Closing out his remarks, he introduced Army Veteran Dale Griffin, who served in the 25th Infantry Division and who had a message for everyone.
Griffin described his trip to Washington DC and how he was not prepared for the pressure of being at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Two days later he went to the Vietnam Wall and once again he was in awe while thinking that all the names on the wall representing someone’s child. He walked from one end of the wall to the other all the while being watched by a couple of ladies, who eventually asked him if there was someone he knew. A short time later, he was helping another gentleman search for a soldier in the 25th Infantry. Griffin came away with the feeling that the Wall did not just stand for the dead, but all those who stood for freedom.
Then with a different twist to the Army, Coast Guard, Marines, Air Force, and Navy songs, not only were service members encouraged to stand as each of their melodies were played, but also the family members were encouraged to stand. As the melodies were played, Issaquah Singers sang the lyrics.
Keynote speaker of the day was US Coast Guard LCDR Jeff Dolan of the USCG Sector Puget Sound. He began his remarks with remembrance of growing up in Honolulu and hearing the stories from his father about the attack on Pearl Harbor as well as stories from his family and others regarding the ultimate sacrifices to keep us free.
When he was a deckhand, LCDR Dolan also spoke of meeting many of the Pearl Harbor survivors that would pack his tour boat telling their stories. Also remembering those who gave the ultimate sacrifice, he turned his comments to his visit to the island of Iwo Jima while recently stationed in Japan. After walking the landing beaches where Navy and Coast Guard delivered Marines for the epic battle, he began walking a nice paved road up Mt. Suribachi. He had considered leaving the nice road to hike up the mountain like those before him, but found it was discouraged due to the possibly of unexploded ordinance remaining on the island. He did make it to the top where the famous flag raising took place. As he approached the American memorial, he saw countless eagle, globe and anchor Marine Corps insignia badges left behind over the years by visiting military members honoring those who had fallen.
Speaking about his co-workers who were with him on Iwo Jima to behold the sight, he said, “We all agreed the tremendous bravery and sacrifices that were made cannot, and should not, be forgotten.”
Then after speaking about standing in the room where General MacArthur and Emperor Hirohito met for the first time and walking the deck on the USS Missouri where the unconditional surrender was signed, Dolan turned his attention to speaking about the Coast Guard’s only Medal of Honor Recipient Signalman First Class Douglas Munroe. With his hometown in Cle Elem, Munroe engaged in the evacuation of a Battalion of Marines trapped by Japanese forces at Point Cruz, Guadalcanal on September 27, 1942. With a group of Higgins boats, he valiantly placed his craft with two small guns as a shield between the beachhead and the Japanese to take on enemy fire so the heavily loaded boats carrying nearly 500 Marines could escape. As the evacuation was nearly completed, Munro was killed by enemy fire, but his crew carried on until the last boat had loaded and cleared the beach even though two of the crew had been wounded as well.
LCDR Dolan rounded off his stories remembering the service of Lt. Thomas “Jimmy” Crotty and Florence Finch Smith. Crotty, who served in the Philippines in 1941, was the first Coast Guard member to be captured since the War of 1812. He was captured in May of 1942 and forced on the Bataan “Death March” that lead to imprisonment at Cabanatuan. Late that summer he died being the only Coast Guardsman at Bataan and Corregidor.
Florence Smith was raised in the Philippines as the daughter of an Army Veteran and Filipino mother. In 1942, Japanese invaded her island with her Navy PT boat crewman husband, Charles, being killed in the action. She went on to smuggle supplies to American POWs. She was eventually arrested, beaten and tortured, but never revealed any information. After being liberated in February 1945, she moved to the US where in July 1945 she enlisted in the US Coast Guard. She eagerly continued to serve against the enemy, who had killed her husband, through the end of the war. In November 1947, she was awarded the US Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian medal to Americans who aided in the war effort. In December 2016, she passed way at the age of 101.
Following LCDR Dolan, a third flyover took place with the Cascade Warbirds thrilling the crowd. Pilots included Roger Collins in a T-28, Dave in a L-17 and Cliff in a IAR-22. Their passes included smoke trails along with one of the planes peeling off from the other two in a missing man formation.
The ceremony concluded following the ceremonial Roll Call of Deceased TNC Volunteers by Al Zarb, Laying of Wreaths, Rifle Salute by VFW Post 1949, Echo Taps sounded by Fred Byzinker, Jack Prindle, and Bernie Moskowitz, and a plea from Milt Till for more people to help with all the services per day the Veterans take part in.
With everyone departed, Tahoma freshman students returned to Tahoma National Cemetery Wednesday through Friday in order to pick up, dry, fold, bundle, and store all the flags until next year’s Memorial Day service. The students will return in November in order to clean the headstones of all the Veterans laid to rest. This was the fifteenth year of Operation Veterans Remembrance for the students, a program that began in the 2002-2003 academic year.
