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 The original intent had been to hold the services
outside near the canopy at the front door of the building. However,
the wind was pretty fierce on Monday and organizers decided that
moving the entire event inside would be better for the audience and
those participating in the program.
Representing the Legion, Bob Sullivan called the morning service to
order welcoming guests, acknowledging special military guests and
making appropriate introductions of those participating in the
program.
He noted the large crowd in attendance and said that it was one of
the largest he has seen on Memorial Day for quite some time.
Pastor Ron Otto of the Lincoln Christian Church was called upon for
the opening invocation and the closing benediction.
Local songstress Lesleigh Bennett performed the National Anthem at
the beginning of the day and led the audience in singing God Bless
America at the end of the service.
When it was time for the guest speaker, Sullivan spent several
minutes recounting the history of Chaplain Lieutenant Colonel Karen
J. Diefendorf, US Army, (retired), also noting that he has known her
personally since her early days at Lincoln Christian University and
local churches in Lincoln in Elkhart.
In relationship to and after her education she served a combination
of three years at local churches in Lincoln and Elkhart. Diefendorf
did her first tour of duty in the military, retiring as a Lieutenant
Colonel to return to Lincoln Christian University to become the
Academic Dean of the University’s undergraduate college. She was
then recalled to service on special assignment to the Secretary of
the Army and Chief of Chaplains.
Diefendorf is married with children and grandchildren and began by
saying that she was grounded locally and that she and her husband
Walt have also considered this community their “adult home.”
Diefendorf delivered a powerful message utilizing quotes from the
Bible and Shakespeare and Winnie the Pooh. She ended her speech with
the words to a military hymn that means a great deal to her
personally and encouraged guests to go home and listen to the
message via music via YouTube.
Diefendorf asked if there were any “Gold Star” families in the room.
Gold Star families are those who have loved ones: sons, daughter,
siblings, parents, who perished in service to their country. She
noted the special sacrifice of family who give their loved ones for
the freedom of our nation and spoke her gratitude for their personal
sacrifice for man and freedom.
She said it wasn’t often she got to start with an illustrious quote,
so she had chosen to start with Winnie the Pooh, “How lucky I am to
have something that makes saying good-bye so hard.” She said that
the service was a remembrance of those who gave all, it was intended
as a time for family to thank those who gave their loved ones to the
military and who in turn gave their lives for all of us.
She spoke about the services being a ritual of remembrance, and said
that rituals were a standard in all military branches starting with
the bugle calls. She noted that all recognized Taps, but there were
so many more rituals that soldiers knew and obeyed like a command,
be it the call to rise, to go to a meal, or to attend a service with
the chaplain.
She said that another symbolism of the military was that of a “blank
check.” She said “We wrote a blank check to our U.S. government to
use us in application of its national will, its policies, its
political will. We wrote a blank check to all of you, the American
people, to fight and perhaps to die on your behalf, and we sign a
blank check to our comrades that we will live honorably and we will
have your back.”
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Diefendorf utilized a quote from the Henry V St.
Crispin’s Day speech written by and included in a play with a
similar title by William Shakespeare.
“We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day.”
She said this was a testament to the gathering and the following
within the local veteran organizations such as the American Legion
and VFW. She said those organizations feed the spirit of unity among
veterans and give them a place to talk and remember their service
and to share their personal scars. She spoke about her husband’s
grandfather who suffered terribly after his service to his country,
and how that he left this world bitter, feeling that God did not
care. He had found comfort in the company of his fellow veterans.
Diefendorf she said it was not true that God did not care, he in
fact cared deeply.
She said that veterans come home with wounds, and for some of them
death began on the battle field, but it completed itself afterward
with the pain they suffered, and the isolation they felt that leads
many to suicide.
She called all veterans to dwell on the fourth verse of the 21st
Chapter of Revelation “Our God will wipe away every tear from their
eyes.” She recalled verses in Isaiah, “Your sun will no longer set
and your moon will no longer wain.” She said that the pain and
suffering will be gone when we reach glory and the sacrifices we
have made will no longer cause us grief, for God will take that from
us and give us the much longed for peace that we were unable to find
in life.
She also spoke of the verse, “In my Father’s house are many
mansions.” She said that it is a promise sound and true and not to
be taken less than literally, for God is giving us what no man can
give, eternal life.
She then read the words to a favorite song, “The Mansions of the
Lord.”
“To fallen soldiers let us sing
Where no rockets fly nor bullets wing
Our broken brothers let us bring
To the mansions of the Lord.
“No more bleeding, no more fight
No prayers pleading through the night
Just divine embrace, eternal light
In the mansions of the Lord.
“Where no mothers cry
And no children weep
We shall stand and guard through the angels sleep
While through the ages safely keep
The mansions of the Lord."
Mansion of the Lord video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGoSWn1tHeo
Before the placement of the wreath and three gun volley, American
Legion Post Commander Ken Werth recognized members of the Legion for
their years of membership.
Five members for continuous membership, three for 50 years, one for
60 and one for 70 years. Those named included Michael J. Bishop,
Joseph L. Gleason Jr., Gene F. Hickey, Gene C. Conrady, and Walter
V. Miller.
Those who were present included Hickey who was noted for 50 years of
membership and Conrady who was noted for 60 years.
The ceremonial placing of the wreath was done by Diane Farmer
representing the American Legion Auxiliary and Janet Long
representing the Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary.
The American Legion color guard provided the three shot volley and
playing of taps at the end of the day.
After the service, guests were invited to stay for the traditional
Ham and Bean lunch.
[Nila Smith] |
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