This Memorial Day, we honor those ordinary people who ascended to the extraordinary, by picking up the tools of war in the name of freedom.”

VFW Post 2711 Commander Brandon Heifne

Memorial Day is for the dead, Veteran’s Day the living.
Gathering Monday, May 26 at 6:0 p.m. in Soo Line Park, a small crowd of veterans and interested public gathered to remember the fallen, both in war and after returning home, from the wounds of war, seen and unseen.
The short ceremony started out with a speech by VFW Post 2711 Commander Brandon Heifner, followed by a prayer from Legion Chaplain Ed Staib.
The rifle salute was made by Ben Niedzwiecki, Art Osvold, and Joe Kiebles, under the direction of Legion Post 112 Commander Bruce Wozniak. Legion member Pat Osvold played Taps.
Following the rifle salute those assembled dispersed, with VFW Commander Heifner’s words resounding.
“Welcome, it’s an honor to be here today,” Heifner said. “To remember those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for our country. As we observe Memorial Day, we do more than simply carry on a tradition, dating back to 1866. We also fulfill a commitment to some very special people. Who are these individuals we pause to honor and praise?
“They were ordinary human beings, just like us, but what they accomplished was extraordinary. They answered the call of duty, thereby giving us today, tomorrow, and the tomorrows of our future.
“Throughout American history, from the patriots who fired the first shots in the Revolution, to the forces deployed around the world today, America has been fortunate to rely on citizens who willingly served, fight, and die for their country.
“It is not for the money or for the medals that such heroes stepped forward. It was to act out their patriotism, a patriotism based on the ideals on which this country was founded: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Counting the 6,824 who died in the American Revolution, up to those who have perished in our most recent conflicts, more than one million Americans have died in defense of our country.
“Together, these defenders of freedom sacrificed everything, to give us the world we are blessed to enjoy today. Think for a moment what our country would be like had they not fought for us. Because of them, more people experience liberty and freedom than ever. It was veterans who paid the high price to get us to this point. We faced monumental challenges, and we have succeeded in building a nation that stands as an example to all freedom loving people. Those who were first to defend our liberty at Bunker Hill and Concord fought for freedom right where they lived. Their homes were burnt, their cattle slaughtered, their crops destroyed, and their families killed. The war they fought was very close, very personal, giving them clarity of purpose.
“In recent, more complex conflicts, our men and women fight in unfamiliar countries, thousands of miles away. Although the surroundings and the language may be foreign, we are drawn to the trouble spots around the world with the same desire, to protect our cherished freedom and to foster freedom’s dream to others.
“This Memorial Day, we honor those ordinary people who ascended to the extraordinary, by picking up the tools of war in the name of freedom. Some died in combat, others from wounds afterwards. Still others after living in the time of peace they fought so hard to win. So on this Memorial Day we come face to face with the cost in human lives, of the battles that brought us here.
“Each one faced the enemy down a rifle barrel, who endured as a prisoner or stood guard duty fighting loneliness and fear. They gave us this precious day, and all the days of our future. Our sorrow over the loss will never die. We carry them constantly. But if we remember them only in sorrow, we do them a disservice. They gave us a rare opportunity to live in freedom. We must make good use of that opportunity, honoring the dead by helping the living. This has always been the goal of the VFW. We fulfill that goal through our programs and by going before Congress in each administration, to submit the needs of America’s veterans and their families. As we do so we ensure that those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for American will not have died in vain. Not in vain, not in this great country, and not on our watch.”