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Lacy Sanford, of the honor guard of Culpeper Veterans
Blanche Grant of Rectortown stands at the grave |
BY MEGAN WILLIAMS
Retired Col. George Solley of the United States Marine Corps asked the attendees of the Memorial Day observance at the Fredericksburg National Cemetery, "Have you forgotten yet?"
As the speaker for the event, Solley began by reciting this line, which comes from the poem "Aftermath" by Siegfried Sassoon, an officer during World War I.
Solley went on to annunciate the reasons why individuals must never forget "the true meaning of Memorial Day," which he said was not to honor veterans, who have a day on Nov. 11, but to remember "all those who have given their lives for their country."
Many of those in attendance agreed with Solley's interpretation of Memorial Day.
"I think he's right on," said T.J. Kneale. "It's not about veterans but to remember, to memorialize, those who made the ultimate sacrifice."
Kneale, who will be moving to Fredericksburg in June, came to the observance with wife Darci and their two sons, Quinn and Riordan, who took turns placing miniature flags in the ground near a memorial wreath.
"We wanted to show the kids the meaning of the weekend," Darci said.
Six-year-old Helena Samson, who attended the ceremony with her mom and sister, summed up the meaning of Memorial Day for her: "We should be grateful for the soldiers who died for our freedom."
For Greg and Nancy Tefft, attending the ceremony at the Fredericksburg National Cemetery "was no real plan of our own."
The couple live in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho, and Nancy was in Richmond for a national conference. And so the two decided to travel to Fredericksburg.
"We wanted to learn some history and about our beginnings," Nancy said. "Freedom came with a price."
The Memorial Day ceremony lasted 20 minutes and included a wreath laying and a playing of taps. Saturday evening the luminaria program took place at the Fredericksburg National Cemetery, where 3,473 people came out to see the annual candle lighting.
"It was one of the biggest crowds we've ever seen," said Russell Smith, a military park official, who has been present for the luminaria for the past six years.
Services also were held
Retired Capt. Patricia Ruf of the United States Marine Corps, who served in Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, was the guest speaker.
She retired from active duty last November.
The cemetery in Culpeper was established in 1867.
Megan Williams:
