Members of the community gathered Monday, May 26 any 6 p.m. in Soo Line Park for a Memorial Day event put on by VFW Post 2711 and Victory Legion Post 112. The ceremony opened with a prayer by Ed …
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Members of the community gathered Monday, May 26 any 6 p.m. in Soo Line Park for a Memorial Day event put on by VFW Post 2711 and Victory Legion Post 112.
The ceremony opened with a prayer by Ed Staib, followed by a speech and honor guard commanded by Ben Niedzwiecki, then TAPs and a salute. Area Legion and VFW chapters headed to cemeteries earlier in the day for honor guard duty.
Included in the program Monday evening at Soo Line was dedication of several memorial bricks, including for Frank Burzynski, US Army Private and World War II veteran as well as a POW,Leonard Burzynski, a sergeant in the U.S. Air Force and Vietnam Era veteran, Raymond Burzynski, a specialist in the U.S. Army and Vietnam Veteran, and James Burzynski, a Sergeant in the U.S. Air Force and Vietnam Veteran as well as a Cold War Veteran
Also included in memorial brick dedications were veteran Arthur Osvold, Patricia Osvold, Jeremy Osvold, Arthur Osvold II, as well as Sean Osvold, who stayed and supported the family at home.
Speaking at the event was Legion Post 112 Commander Bruce Wozniak, who shared the story of Isaac Davis, among the first Americans to die in the Revolutionary War on April 19, 1775. Wozniak shared that Davis was a blacksmith by trade, telling his wife Hannah to “take good care of the children” before heading off to face the British.
Wozniak also shared the story of Tech Sergeant Ashley Pruitt of Bardstown, Kentucky, a 34-year-old mother and boom operator on an Air Force Refueling aircraft that crashed in western Iraq in March as it was supporting military operations in Iran.
One of six service members to die in the crash, she left behind a spouse and two children.
“We honor a promise to never forget their service,” Wozniak said. “We mourn, and we carry on. To do otherwise is a disservice to their legacies.”
Wozniak shared an ongoing debate on whether to count veterans who die by suicide among Iraq war casualties, some 22 veterans a day dying by suicide. One of Wozniak’s friends had died that way.
“I think he died from combat, just later, Wozniak said of the aftermath of war and his friend.
Veterans in crisis can seek confidential crisis support by dialing 988, then press 1, or by texting 838255.
