Memorial Day Ceremony

We went to a Memorial Day wreath-laying ceremony today. MG James Milano spoke of the importance of honoring our fallen and missing dead with reverent celebration and not mournful sorrow. The freedoms we enjoy in this country are not free. Great men and women from every generation have paid the ultimate price. I can best illustrate the day's events via pictures:

 The cannon crew that fired a haunting 21 gun salute at the end of the service.

 The Major General's flag.

 Old Hickory himself.

 Army brass quintet. These guys were good.

 Color Guard.

Gen. Jackson again.

 Post Commander MG John Milano.

 A drill sergeant holds the wreath.

 These are widows of fallen service members. The lady in yellow/gold is part of the Gold Star Wives of America. This is not a sorority a wife wants to be a part of. The service flags that families put in their windows signify that they have a soldier in their family. A gold star means they have a KIA. Hence the name Gold Star Wives.

 Taps. I absolutely cannot hear this song without crying. Every single time I tear up. My calling is to pastor soldiers. I love soldiers, I love my nation, and I know God loves all of creation. It's hard for me to even fathom the pain that spouses and children endure at the loss of a family member due to war.

Okay, this if freaking cool. This is Sergeant John Baker, a Vietnam veteran and Congressional Medal of Honor recipient (notice the medal around his neck). It was my honor to salute this gentlemen and have my picture taken with him. His heroics are movie-worthy. I've simply copied and pasted the record of his heroics from the official Army website. Read it all, you owe him that much.

BAKER, JOHN F., JR.

Rank and organization: Sergeant (then Pfc.), U.S. Army, Company A, 2d Battalion, 27th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division. Place and date: Republic of Vietnam, 5 November 1966. Entered service at: Moline, Ill. Born: 30 October 1945, Davenport, Iowa. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. En route to assist another unit that was engaged with the enemy, Company A came under intense enemy fire and the lead man was killed instantly. Sgt. Baker immediately moved to the head of the column and together with another soldier knocked out 2 enemy bunkers. When his comrade was mortally wounded, Sgt. Baker, spotting 4 Viet Cong snipers, killed all of them, evacuated the fallen soldier and returned to lead repeated assaults against the enemy positions, killing several more Viet Cong. Moving to attack 2 additional enemy bunkers, he and another soldier drew intense enemy fire and Sgt. Baker was blown from his feet by an enemy grenade. He quickly recovered and single-handedly destroyed 1 bunker before the other soldier was wounded. Seizing his fallen comrade's machine gun, Sgt. Baker charged through the deadly fusillade to silence the other bunker. He evacuated his comrade, replenished his ammunition and returned to the forefront to brave the enemy fire and continue the fight. When the forward element was ordered to withdraw, he carried 1 wounded man to the rear. As he returned to evacuate another soldier, he was taken under fire by snipers, but raced beyond the friendly troops to attack and kill the snipers. After evacuating the wounded man, he returned to cover the deployment of the unit. His ammunition now exhausted, he dragged 2 more of his fallen comrades to the rear. Sgt. Baker's selfless heroism, indomitable fighting spirit, and extraordinary gallantry were directly responsible for saving the lives of several of his comrades, and inflicting serious damage on the enemy. His acts were in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Army and reflect great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of his country.