Gathering in 'unity of remembrance'

As people across Sisters Country enjoyed the holiday traditions of camping, barbecues and family gatherings, a crowd more than 200 strong gathered in the Village Green to mark the deeper, more somber meaning behind the day's observance.

Keynote speaker U.S. Army Lt. Col. Richard L. Miller called the spirit of the annual gathering the "unity of remembrance," an impulse that brings a diverse community together to remember the fallen and their families.

LTC Miller stood in for scheduled keynote speaker, Medal of Honor recipient Robert D. Maxwell, who was hospitalized with an infection and unable to attend the day's ceremonies. An emotional Col. Miller read Maxwell's World War II MOH citation and offered the group's prayers for his well-being.

It was one of several poignant moments in an always-touching ceremony. Master of Ceremonies Col. John Miller (USAF, Retired), choked up while acknowledging the passing of Sisters-area veteran Lee Davis at 3 a.m. on Monday morning. Col. Miller's granddaughter Lexie presented flowers to Davis' widow, Josephine, who was in attendance with her family.

LTC Miller's keynote address noted episodes of what he considers to be divine intervention in American history, from the escape of George Washington's Continental Army across a fog-shrouded East River after his defeat by the British at Long Island, to the legendary "Miracle of Midway," where a recon pilot extended his patrol past the operational range of his aircraft and spotted the Japanese armada bearing down on the island. The intelligence offered the U.S. Navy the element of surprise in an audacious attack that marked a turning point in the Pacific Theater of World War II.

He also emphasized the role of the U.S. soldier as "more than a conqueror," citing incidences from Vietnam and Iraq where soldiers used their own funds and efforts to provide aid from clean water to schools and supplies for the people of the countries where Americans were fighting.

LTC Miller also noted that the approximately 1.3 million soldiers who have fallen in America's wars are not the only ones to be recognized on Memorial Day. The bereaved families, too, have "paid the price of agony" when visited with the news that a loved one had fallen in battle, delivered with the chilling words "regret to inform..."

"How do you measure the agony of 1.3 million families that heard that greeting," Col. Miller said.

Poet Ted Lyster read two poems, one dedicated to Maxwell. Sisters Boy Scout Troop 139 handled ceremonial duties along with a color guard from the Redmond High School Marine Junior ROTC.

The High Desert Chorale sang the National Anthem and "God Bless America," as well as all the service hymns of each branch of the U.S. Armed Forces.

LTC Miller's keynote carried perhaps the most profound expression of debt and dedication ever uttered in American history, as he closed with the words of President Abraham Lincoln in the Gettysburg Address:

"...That we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain - that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom - and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

• Email: editor@nuggetnews.com
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