For me, Memorial Day is a humbling experience. As a nation, we honor their bravery, heroism and unwavering love for our country with events at Arlington National Cemetery, including the laying of the wreaths at the Tomb of the Unknown Solider. In Idaho, state and military leaders will gather at  the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery to pay tributes. In Meridian, we will gather at the Rock of Honor located in Julius M. Kleiner Memorial Park.

For those that don’t know, the Rock of Honor was the brainchild of World War II Navy Veteran John H. Burns who, at the time, was the Commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 4000 in Meridian.  Through his leadership and collaboration, with then boy scout named John Skogsberg, names of fallen soldiers from Meridian were gathered and are now memorialized on the monument. It is a lasting legacy in our community where we gather to pay our respects and it includes the following inscription:

We Celebrate Their Valor.  We Shall Not Forget Them. Their Sacrifice Is the Foundation Upon Which We Build Our Strength.

Today at 11:00 am, the community is invited to attend a Memorial Day tribute at the Rock of Honor where we will be honoring the members of the Armed Forces from Meridian who gave their lives in service. I encourage the community to come out and pay their respect to those who made the ultimate sacrifice, fighting to defend our freedom and way of life. You can find more about this event on our community calendar.  The event, which is presented by The Rock of Honor Memorial, Inc., the American Legion Post 113, VFW Post 4000, and the City of Meridian will also feature a flyover from vintage World War II fighter planes, which is made possible by the Warhawk Air Museum in Nampa (weather permitting).

The ceremony will include the reading the 63 names of those from Meridian who lost their lives in service to our country and are now memorialized on the monument. As I know it is not possible for everyone to attend, I feel it is important to share the names of those who are engraved on the monument. I encourage you to spend time today, or whenever you are reading this, and say thank you to these individuals and their families for the ultimate sacrifice they paid.

Corporal David Marks, Army Korea

Private  William Summer, Army  Korea

Leland   Strawn, WW II

Private  Gilbert  McCorkle, Army WW II

Private First Class Jerry  Williams, Army  WW II

Master Sergeant Clifford Stone, USAF WW II

Sergeant Wesley Franklin, Army  WW II

2nd Lieutenant Homer  Baker, Army Air Corps WW II

Gunners Mate 3rd Class Morris Stewart, Navy WW II

Private First Class Eugene Wood, Marine Corps WW II

Staff Sergeant Arvel Maples, Army WW II

Sergeant Robert Gray, Army WW II

Staff Sergeant William Erwin, Army Air Corps WW II

Specialist 4th Class Randy Bronson, Army Vietnam

Morrison Kundson Orlie Pfost, Civilian WW II

Sergeant Clinton Rippee, USAF Vietnam

Technical Sergeant Harold Marks, Army Air Corps WW II

Private First Class Harmon Hamming, Army WW II

Private First Class James Barker, Marine Corps WW II

Chief Petty Officer Robert Bentley, Navy WW II

Private First Class Donald Cooper, Army WW II

Fireman 3rd Class Lynn  Creech, Navy Reserves WW II

Engine man 2nd Class Robert Chesnut, Navy Vietnam

Sergeant Jermey King, Army Iraq

Sergeant Michael Norris, Army Iraq

Sergeant Herbert Link, Army WW II

Private First Class James Ward, Army WW II

Specialist 4th Class Floyd Savell, Army WW II

Corporal Lee Davis, Army WW I

2nd Lieutenant Roy Duerock, Army Air Corps WW II

Sergeant Wallace Atkinson, Army WW I

BTC John Gillapsy, Navy Vietnam

Private  Edward Link, Army WW II

Private First Class Alvin Hashbarger, Army WW II

Private First Class Elmer Ireland, Army WW II

1st Lieutenant Charles Cairns Army Air Corps WW II

Private First Class Carl Vincent, Army WW II

Private First Class Richard Vincent, Army WW II

Private First Class Pete  Morse, Marine Corps WW II

Petty Officer Gilbert Vieselmeyer, Navy Vietnam

Private First Class Ernest Towne, Army WW II

Private First Class James Nelson, Army WW II

Private  Samuel Louderbaugh, Army WW I

Seaman Apprentice Owen Starr, Navy Vietnam

Private First Class Jack Wood, Marine Corps WW II

Corporal James Monroe, Army Korea

Fireman 2nd Class Walter Brenner, Navy WW II

1st Lieutenant Eugene Fowler, Army National Guard WW II

Homer  Lyon, Army WW I

Donald  Zinn, Navy Korea

Max Montieth, Army National Guard WW II

Civilian Wake Island John Cleland Morrison Knudson WW II

Private First Class, Willes Lamm Army WW II

Specialist First Class Thomas Murach, Army Afganistan

Civilian Wake Island Forrest Packard Morrison Knudson WW II

Fireman Dale Wiley, Navy Reserves Korea

Private First Class Calvin Skeen  Army Korea

Private Lloyd Hutcheson, Army WW I

Private  James Barker, Marine Corps WW II

2nd Lieutenant Charles Harnish Army     WW II

Ralph Linn, Army WW I

Airman 2nd Class David Lewis, USAF Vietnam

Private First Class Fred Smart, Marine Corps Vietnam

As we acknowledge and honor this day, let's be grateful for the freedom and safety for which they paid the ultimate price to secure. I'd like to end with a quote from Helen Steiner Rice's Memorial Day Prayer: "They serviced and fought and died so that we might be safe and free. Grant them, O Lord, eternal peace and give them the victory. Let's not forget the price they paid to keep our country free."