Invocation/Benediction - Pastor Alex Woodworth, Ebenezer FLC
Musical Selections - Salem Yates
Memorial Day Address- Ted Sandburg, US Navy Veteran
The sun was shining warmly on Memorial Day, and the Northwood Cemetery was clothed in honor for the fallen that it held. It is always a sight to behold, thanks to the men of the American Legion.
American Legion Commander Gary Gylten called the ceremony to order, and the Veterans proudly carried the colors to be posted.
Pastor Alex Woodward of the Ebenezer church gave both the Invocation and Benediction for the Memorial Service.
High school student Salem Yates performed two musical selections, and the gathering was treated to a wonderful vocal talent.
Chaplain David Engen shared a reminder of Northwood's local servicemen who paid the ultimate sacrifice. Added this past year to these departed comrades were Francis Adams, Rodney Peterson, Raymond Sherva, Richard Hanson, Gerald Martinson, Dennis McVeigh, and Betty Beck (Auxiliary).
Grand Forks District Judge Ted Sandberg was the guest speaker. He is also a Veteran of the United States Navy and spent many years aboard a submarine, serving our country. He reminded us that the Veterans consider themselves second to their fallen brothers. Many of those men were teenagers who had graduated from high school, so full of hope for a future, but war changed that.
Ted shared, "Here in North Dakota, Memorial Day is especially personal. Places like Grand Forks, Northwood, Larimore, and countless prairie towns in between & around. We don't simply remember history in the history books. We remember people. You remember classmates; we remember neighbors. We remember fathers, sons, daughters, brothers, and friends we all grew up with. We remember young men and women who once sat in our schools, worked on our farms, played football in the fall, and baseball in the summer. And then they found themselves standing on the beaches of Normandy. They're surrounded in the frozen mountain pass of Korea. Up to their ankles in mud and rain in Vietnam. Kicking the door and fighting their way up stairways in Fallujah, Iraq. Memorial Day is about remembering our fellow North Dakotans who were in these places and thousands of other places, but they never came back."
Ted reminded us that these men and women of North Dakota were raised that way. They were raised to love freedom, work hard, and to sacrifice. North Dakota has disproportionately carried a heavy burden to serve our country per capita. He reminded us to take to heart because it will be a dark day if we choose to forget all of the sacrifices our military and their families have made.
The ceremony came to a close with a benediction, a rifle salute to the fallen, and the playing of Taps.
The gathering was treated to a lunch of meatballs, scalloped potatoes, and delicious cakes prepared by the Legion Auxiliary members. It is good to reflect on the men of the American Legion and the women of the American Legion Auxiliary. May we not forget that they continue to serve their country and empty themselves in that North Dakota way. Will we, the younger generations, cherish them and learn the traditions so that we will carry on and never forget?
Sorry for the camera drop to the grass!!
