Veterans Mark Memorial Day at County Courthouse

Soldier and veterans assemble to pay tribute at the War Memorial at the Mackinac County Courthouse, on Memorial Day Monday, May 28. Pictured (from left) are U.S. Coast Guard Fireman Samuel Wilson, Coast Guard Seaman Nick Trojanek, Operation Enduring Freedom veteran Pat Chargo, Gulf War veteran Tom Paquin, Vietnam War veteran Rick Litzner, Korean War veteran Gary Olsen, World War II veteran Marv Winkelman, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5114 Quarter Master Gerry Reilly, Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Chapter 93 Senior Vice Commander Christopher Stearns, American Legion Post 62 Member Don McKinnon, U.S. Coast Guard Senior Chief Jeff Mallory, Vietnam veteran Mike Lehto, Past DAV State Commander Billie Clark, St. Ignace Mayor Paul Grondin, Glen Memorial Baptist Church Pastor Mike Lane, soloist Emily Springsteen, and World War II WAVE veteran Shirley Bentgen. The empty chair at the far right symbolizes American prisoners of war.

Soldiers and veterans assembled in front of the War Veterans Memorial at the Mackinac County Courthouse in observance of Memorial Day Monday, May 28, where student Abigail Chambers sang the National Anthem and Emily Springsteen sang "This Land is Your Land" to a solemn, respectful public.

Billie Clark of the Disabled American Veterans served as master of ceremonies for the service, during which the sacrifices and suffering of soldiers from the Revolutionary War to the War in Iraq were acknowledged.

Pastor Michael Lane of Glen Memorial Baptist Church spoke of the sacrifices of soldiers, called upon survivors to learn from their endeavors, and asked listeners to remember the sacrifice of Jesus.

Mike Lehto, a Vietnam veteran, gave the keynote speech. Mr. Lehto personalized the word "soldier," reminding listeners that fallen, wounded, and surviving veterans include their "neighbors, sons, and cousins." Their sacrifices are an integral part of the continuing quality of life in the United States, he added.

"The sounds of battle come down through the ages," he said, and so does the crying of wounded and dying soldiers, and the mourning of family members who have been informed that their loved ones will not return.

Mr. Lehto read the death count and the number of wounded in every American conflict since the Revolutionary War, ending with details regarding the number of Michigan soldiers killed in the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. From Michigan, 26 between the ages of 19 and 20 have died in combat; 68 between the ages of 21 and 25; 26 between the ages of 26 and 30; 17 between the ages of 31 and 35; 13 between the ages of 36 and 40, and 10 soldiers age 41 and older.

A long line of veterans faced the public at the ceremony, but one chair remained empty, symbolizing American prisoners of war.