Those who gathered for the Silver Lake annual Memorial Day service.
Text and Photos
By Deb Patterson
InkFreeNews
SILVER LAKE — “Society likes to use the word ‘hero.’ There are sports heroes, action heroes, political heroes, but is there any group more more deserving of the title than the more than 1 million men and women who have sacrificed their lives in defense of this nation?” asked Rev. Kent Harting, pastor of Center United Methodist Church, Silver Lake.
Harting was the key speaker at the annual Silver Lake Memorial Day ceremony, Saturday, May 24, at Lakeview Cemetery.
The sky was clear. The sun was shinning. Residents gathered on lawn chairs while others stood to hear this year’s message, participate in singing and honor those who gave their all for the nation.
Harting noted four heroes. A gridiron hero named Jack Loomis, who was an all American football star, as well as center fielder for Baylor University. He attended a New York Giants training camp and signed with the team as a free agent. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor and the championship game against the Chicago Bears, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps.
Rev. Kent Harting not only brought the Memorial Day message, but was also conductor for God’s All Community Choir.
While Loomis has been inducted into the New York Giants Ring of Honor, there is more to his story. 1st Lt. Loomis on Feb. 19, 1945, was among the first to land at Iwo Jima. Despite getting wounded, he led his rifle platoon against enemy forces and neutralized three pill boxes of enemy soldiers before stepping on a land mind. His last words to the doctor was “Well doc, the New York Giants lost a mighty good end today.” He died on March 8, 1945.
He was later awarded the Medal of Honor. “He was one of the most famous heroes in one of history’s most famous battles. But there are so many others that we can also remember. People who died while fulfilling their military missions,” said Harting.
Harting went on to mention three more heroes, Navy Lt. Commander Lindsay Evans and Lt. Serena Wileman, distinguished fighter pilots, who on Oct. 15, 2024, lost their lives during a routine training flight near Mount Rainier; and Army Medic Calvin Bouknight, who “died so others could live.” He received the Silver Star for shielding and protecting four of his fellow soldiers in Vietnam in 1965. “Bouknight lived only 24 years but his legacy is still remembered 60 years after his passing,” said Harting.
“Fifty years ago the Vietnam War ended, much like our withdrawal from Afghanistan history will be kinder to those who fought in the war than will be to the policy makers who managed it. For it is the veterans, not the politicians who give us our freedom. The true heroes are not the quarterbacks … or the baseball players … it isn’t the Hollywood actor who looks good dodging the imaginary bullets and fake explosions. It is the military veteran, the police officer, the firefighter and others who risk, and far too often loose their life protecting protecting and defending all of us.
“Those heroes we honor today are not exclusive to any gender race or religion. They come from all economic classes and backgrounds. They hail from all 50 states and some have migrated from other countries they are a diverse group, wedded to the belief that America is a nation worth dying for.
Russ Bauer with the Indiana Patriot Guard was among the attendees at Silver Lake.
“The heroes that I mentioned had earned prestigious awards, military decorations, but just like the soldiers only known to God, countless veterans have not been recognized for their bravery … They are no less heroic. We have gathered so we can remember their sacrifices and celebrate the fact that throughout our history, this great country produces such men and women of honor. We must not forget that.”
He quoted President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s statement when he signed the proclamation establishing May 30, as Memorial Day in 1955, noting it was proclaimed as a “day of nationwide prayer and permanent peace.”
He concluded by saying “It is a prayer that every American and every descent human share, not just on Memorial Day, but the rest of the year as well.”
The ceremony also featured patriotic songs by the God’s All Community Choir. Harting also read the poem “I Am The Flag” by Howard Schnauber, written in 1994, with the original title of “My Name is Old Glory.” The service was closed with the playing of Taps.
Members of God’s All Community Choir prepare to present musical selections during the Silver Lake Memorial Day celebration.
