SIKESTON -- The crowd began arriving early at Sikeston's Veterans Park Monday morning. Spreading out under the shade of the trees and filling the nearby picnic shelter, veterans, members of the active military and the community gathered for the annual Memorial Day service.
Tom Austin, a member of the Sikeston American Legion Post 114, was pleased with the turnout.
"It means people care," he said. "They don't come out here because they are just bored and don't have anything else to do; they come out here because they genuinely care to be a part of this and show their respect."
Guest speaker U.S. Air Force Col. Jeffrey Pierce spoke briefly about the history behind Memorial Day, noting it began in 1868 as Decoration Day, a time to decorate the graves of those Southern soldiers who died in the Civil War. After World War I, he said May 30 was set aside as the day to honor all soldiers who had perished in any war in defense of the nation.
It was a fitting change, Pierce said, noting in World War I, the United States had more than 116,000 of its soldiers killed.
"The right to freedom does not exist freely and many throughout the world would like to see it disappear. So at times it must be defended," he said, adding Americans would again lay down their lives in defense of the nation and the freedoms they enjoy just a few decades later in World War II.
"Missourians have always shared in our country's sacrifice. Southeast Missourians in particular know well these sacrifices having faithfully contributed to defending our freedom," Pierce said.
According to Pierce, during World War II over 450,000 Americans and Missouri citizens participated in the military. Of the more than 10,000 who were killed, there were 350 from the four counties surrounding Sikeston.
"Southeast Missourians knew then, as we know now, sacrifice for freedom is not only noble but essential," he added.
Pierce went on to note when the United States fought the spread of communism in Korea, 924 Missourians died in the conflict. In particular, he spoke of three who received the Medal of Honor for their bravery, including two from Southeast Missouri.
In 1971 Memorial Day officially was declared a national holiday, which Pierce said came at a good time as the war was underway in Vietnam. It exacted a heavy price from communities across the nation, he said.
"Over 58,000 Americans were killed in that war including 1,400 Missourians and 10 from Sikeston alone," Pierce said. "Every community in Southeast Missouri has shared the burden of the Vietnam War as each had members that participated in that war and almost every community had men that perished."
The sacrifices have continued with the Gulf War, when 383 Americans were killed, including nine Missourians, and again on Sept. 11, 2001, when more than 3,000 Americans, including the military, first responders and civilians, were killed, Pierce told the audience
Since the War on Terrorism began, 7,000 Americans have lost their lives, Pierce said, including 143 Missourians. He went on to describe four Southeast Missourians, who lost their lives overseas in the war.
"We all share the sacrifice when each of our soldiers pays the ultimate price in defense of our nation and freedom -- freedom for us all to enjoy now and in the future," Pierce said. "We honor all soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, coast guardsmen and civilians who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the defense of our great nation and the freedoms we hold dear.
"Whether in downtown New York City, a remote field in Pennsylvania or a distant foreign land, we must continue to honor those willing to pay the ultimate sacrifice in our defense," he concluded. "And we hope we can avoid the need of future generations to pay that price."
Pierce's message of honor and sacrifice was not lost on Lana Davis and her son, Michael, who were part of Monday's audience. Davis said they were there to honor her father, who has terminal cancer as a result of his exposure to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War.
"And also my great-great-grandpa," chimed in Michael. "He was in World War II."
Michael, whose ears were sticking out from under his Army ball cap, said he liked all of the program from the posting of the flag to the 21-gun salute and "Taps."
Placing her hands on her son's shoulders, Davis added, "Michael is all about military; he has always been about military since he could talk. He wants to be a soldier and he says that he wants to sacrifice for my country. He is 7 years old and he says that."