FAYETTEVILLE -- On a gloomy Memorial Day when torrential rain nearly submerged the Fayetteville National Cemetery's annual ceremony, a pavilion displaying all five seals of the U.S. armed forces provided refuge for attendees.
The rain started shortly before 10 a.m. Monday, and as organizers scrambled to move the proceedings inside the pavilion, participants and volunteers did their part to help.
Fast facts
In 1966, Congress and President Lyndon Johnson declared Waterloo, N.Y., the “birthplace” of Memorial Day. The city had honored Civil War veterans at a ceremony on May 5, 1866. Businesses closed and residents flew flags at half-staff.
Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
When the ceremony started, the Ozark Mountains British Brass Band was scattered throughout the pavilion. Youngsters acted as music stands for the horn section while the crowd listened to speeches under a canopy of umbrellas.
Col. Bobbi Doorenbos, commander of Fort Smith's 188th Fighter Wing of the Arkansas Air National Guard, was the ceremony's speaker. She noted Memorial Day honors service members who are "only here in spirit," adding the families of fallen soldiers often sacrifice as well.
"More often than not, our heroes are our friends and neighbors," said Doorenbos, a former F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot who now leads the Flying Razorbacks. "I am humbled by their service ... we are eternally grateful."
Doorenbos' speech followed a formal reading of the names of veterans who died in 2015.
Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin, who spoke earlier at a killed-in-action memorial ceremony in Siloam Springs, said the actions of those in attendance sometimes can resonate more than speeches.
"Our youth aren't born with the sense of appreciation for our military," Griffin said. "We have to teach them that."
Griffin, a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve has 19 years of service and was deployed to Iraq as a member of the 101st Airborne Division.
As the grandson of a World War I veteran, Griffin urged parents to do more than teach their children about respect and honor.
"More than just telling kids about respect and honor, teach them to live it out," he said.
Sharon and Kelly Conner brought their two children, Zoey Beth and Seth, to the ceremony. The Conners praised the "tremendous effort" of organizers.
"It was really humbling to see the families represented," Sharon Conner said.
NW News on 05/31/2016