A member of the American Legion Post 347 in LeClaire gets ready for the Memorial Day ceremony on Monday, May 27, at the Bettendorf Veterans Memorial. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
The nation’s fallen heroes were remembered and honored at many Memorial Day services across the region on Monday, May 27. Those who died in battle to protect the country should be honored for their ultimate sacrifice – and the fact they were all regular people who put their lives aside to help the nation, according […]
The nation’s fallen heroes were remembered and honored at many Memorial Day services across the region on Monday, May 27.Those who died in battle to protect the country should be honored for their ultimate sacrifice – and the fact they were all regular people who put their lives aside to help the nation, according to one Memorial Day message.
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An American flag waves in the wind during Monday’s Memorial Day ceremony in Bettendorf. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
Bettendorf Mayor Bob Gallagher welcomes the crowd to Monday’s Memorial Day ceremony in Bettendorf. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
Two members of the American Legion Post 347 in LeClaire attend the Memorial Day ceremony on Monday, May 27, at the Bettendorf Veterans Memorial. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
Bettendorf Mayor Bob Gallagher, left, and Jose Cerda take part in a memorial wreath ceremony on Monday.
A bottle of beer is placed next to a stone at the Bettendorf Veterans Memorial on Monday.
About 100 people attended the Memorial Day ceremony.
Veterans give a salute during the ceremony.
Jose Cerda gives a speech during the ceremony.
“They were people just like us. They were fathers, brothers. … Some were teachers, police, firefighters and plumbers,” said John Weiland, commander of Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 9128, during the Memorial Day ceremony at the Bettendorf Veterans Memorial on Monday afternoon.Mr. Weiland was one of several veterans and local leaders to present Memorial Day messages to a crowd of about 100 people under the picnic shelter surrounded by U.S. flags and next toVeterans Memorial Park at 1645 23rd St.The memorial features two pentagons that surround a central flag. The inner ring represents the five branches of service and the outer pillars of American black granite have the names of hundreds of service men and women.During Monday’s ceremony, flowers and an unopened bottle of beer were placed in the memorial. The memorial also has a monument with the phrase “Freedom is not free,” which was one of the top theme’s of Monday’s ceremony.That ceremony included a wreath-laying ceremony, an honor guard with plenty of flags, prayers and the playing of Taps. But the main features were speeches to honor the nation’s fallen heroes and a call for people to remember those sacrifices.“They were different in many ways, but somewhere the same. … It came not as a burden, but as a duty (to protect the nation),” said Mr. Weiland about the fallen veterans.Another speaker at Monday’s ceremony was Jose Cerda, founder of the Anonymously Grateful organization.The mission of that nonprofit group is to bring awareness for all aspects of the nation’s military community. It honors Gold Star families, Gold Star parents and raises suicide awareness for those who served. The group provides financial and emotional support to veterans and their families.Mr. Cerda told the crowd that about 22 veterans die each day by suicide, and more than 30,000 veterans have died by suicide since Sept. 11, 2001. He added that Anonymously Grateful was established to help veterans and their families facing tough times. (Go here to see resources available to veterans and their families.)“Let’s let them all know they are not forgotten,” Mr. Cerda told the crowd.
