Barnesville Community Honors the Fallen at Memorial Day Service
Barnesville American Legion Post #168 held a Memorial Day service on Monday, May 25, at the Veteran’s Plaza in Barnesville.
The service began with an opening prayer by Corey Powell, followed by a performance of the National Anthem by Peyton Steed and Linkoln Jendrusik. Welcoming remarks were given by David Bunting, a trustee of Barnesville American Legion Post #168. Further remarks were delivered by Gina Carvin of the Barnesville American Legion #168 Auxiliary and Dale Bunting, former mayor of Barnesville.
Roger Johnson was the featured speaker at the event. Johnson is a graduate of Barnesville High School and a life-long soldier. Johnson initially spent five years in the Navy. After his service, he completed aviation training and joined the Ohio and Indiana national guards. He spent a total of 22 years in the military and flew a total of 13,500 hours.
In his speech, Johnson put great emphasis on the memory of the soldiers who gave their lives for our country. He said, “Since the founding of our nation, more than 1.3 million Americans have died in US wars. That number alone is staggering…these numbers represent not just loss, but courage, duty, and sacrifice. Even as we reflect on these national numbers, it is often the stories from individual communities that help us understand what those sacrifices mean.”
Johnson then emphasized how losses that may seem small can leave lasting scars on small communities. Johnson told the story of the six soldiers from Beallsville who never returned from Vietnam. Six young men from this community of 475 fell in action during the Vietnam War. This makes Beallsville the community that suffered the most losses per capita of any community in the United States.
“Six sons, six classmates, six young men once walked the same streets, sat in the same classrooms, and dreamed the same dreams as the people around them. Six futures that were never realized.” Johnson said, “That is what sacrifice looks like. It is not just numbers on a page. It is names, it is lives.”
Johnson stressed the importance of remembrance through actions, not just through ceremony. “(Remembrance) lives in whether we take the time to learn a name, to hear a story, to ask a veteran about their experience, or to simply pause and reflect.”
Johnson stressed that Memorial Day should inspire us to look to the future. “Because the truth is, Memorial Day is not just looking back, it is about looking forward. It asks us; What will we do with the freedom we have been given?”
After Johnson’s speech, the Barnesville American Legion #168 Honor Guard gave a 21 gun salute, followed by Taps. Corey Powell then gave a closing prayer. Attendees were then invited to a luncheon at the American Legion Post.
Barnesville Area News Needs Your Support!
We're dedicated to providing coverage of the local happenings in Barnesville and the neighboring communities.
As a non-profit entity, we rely on the donations of readers like you.
Make a donation today and you'll be helping keep local news alive in the Barnesville area.