Residents flocked to the Memorial Day ceremony at the Worcester County Veterans Memorial in Ocean Pines on Monday to honor fallen United States Military men and women with music, speakers, and demonstrations.
Members of the Delmarva Chorus perform during the annual Memorial Day ceremony at the Worcester County Veterans Memorial in Ocean Pines on May 27.
Tara Fischer / Bayside Gazette
By Tara Fischer, Staff Writer
Residents flocked to the Memorial Day ceremony at the Worcester County Veterans Memorial in Ocean Pines to honor fallen United States Military men and women with music, speakers, and demonstrations on Monday, May 27.
“Memorial Day honors all who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our county,” Veterans Memorial Foundation President Marie Gilmore said in a press release issued by Ocean Pines Association Director of Public Relations and Marketing Josh Davis on May 21. “This year’s ceremony, as before it, will honor the brave men and women who served our country and lost their lives.”
Robert Smith, a U.S. Air Force Vietnam veteran and career member of the U.S. Army Reserves, was the keynote speaker for the event.
“For some of us, Memorial Day means something very personal, where you get to mourn a loved one or a family member that died during war times for their country,” Smith said in his address. “For others, it means remembering and honoring our American military people, men and women, who died in the line of duty.”
The veteran said that both descriptions hold value to him, as he lost his father in World War II, his uncle in the Pearl Harbor attack, and his brother in the Vietnam War. Smith rounded out his speech by recognizing the importance of the holiday and honoring fallen heroes.
“My granddaughter was talking to me the other day…she said that her class just finished studying the history of Memorial Day,” he said. “So, I asked her what Memorial Day means to her. She said, ‘Memorial Day is for those who have fallen in the line of duty.’ There are 300 people standing here, and I guarantee you if I were to ask everyone that question, you would either have an answer close to these or one of your own that means something very special to you, as a veteran, a spouse, or a family member. In closing, I would like to read you my answer. ‘Memorial Day is a day to remember those who died while serving in the military in all wars.’”
The ceremony also honored local Gold Star families. These individuals have experienced the loss of an immediate family member in the line of active-duty military service. According to Davis, the term originates from World War I, when houses would fly banners with a blue star for every close relative in combat. A gold star would replace the previous marking if the soldier had fallen.
Member of the Maryland East Chapter of the Ex-Prisoner of Wars Walter Webster presented a wreath to honor all POWs, former and current. A Purple Heart wreath was placed on the memorial grounds, and a rifle volley honored the fallen military men and women.
The National Anthem was sung by Stephen Decatur High School Senior Trista Harner, the Delmarva Chorus Director Carol Ludwig performed “Some Gave All,” “God Bless the USA” was delivered by U.S. Army Green Beret Randy Lee Ashcraft, and the “Medley of Service Anthems” was vocalized by the Delmarva Chorus.
The OC Pipes and Drums performed “Amazing Grace,” and “Last Full Measure of Devotion” was sung by Glenn Mohr and St. Luke’s Contemporary Choir members. Snow Hill Middle School student Elliot Larsen read her poem “Unsung Heros,” and to conclude the Memorial Day ceremony, the flags at the grounds were raised.