The Veterans Memorial Island Sanctuary was a patriotic sea of red, white and blue during the Memorial Day Ceremony, organized by the Veterans Council of Indian River County, where veterans and families commemorated wars and conflicts dating back to World War I. The day’s overcast skies added to the somber mood that permeated the crowd, who were there to honor the sacrifices of fallen military service members.
“This year, we are going to do something a little different,” said Ret. Col. Martin Zickert to the crowd. “We’re going to focus on the time period of World War I. The guest speaker is going to talk about the creation of this magnificent sanctuary and the thought, ‘Lest we forget.’”
Zickert, current Veterans Council chairman, noted that Americans gather around the world on Memorial Day to “honor America’s finest men and women who gave their lives for our freedom. Because of them, we live in a free society that even our most desperate enemies admire. For us, this is a day of remembrance as we honor our friends and fellow warriors who made the ultimate sacrifice.”
Over the course of the morning, a patriotic medley played by the Vero Beach High School Band, the Boots on the Ground display, and the ritual placing of the wreath among the cenotaphs, accompanied by the haunting sound of bagpipes, added to the solemnity of the ceremony.
“We gather here today to remember those who have fought against tyranny and oppression and maintained our freedom that we have today,” said Rev. David Newhart, in his invocation.
“We come from all walks of life, all different faiths. We come because we honor those who have kept us safe, who have defended our freedoms in this United States of America. We will continue to remember them, ‘Lest we forget.’”
Vero Beach pioneer Alex MacWilliam, a WWI veteran, was instrumental in the creation of Veterans Memorial Island Sanctuary, and in his honor, his great grandson, Alex MacWilliam IV, read the war poem, “In Flanders’ Fields,” written by Lt. Col. John McCrae in 1915.
Zickert introduced keynote speaker Gold Star Mother Michelle Dale, who spoke movingly of her son, Army Cpl. Dale Kridlo, who was killed in action in Kunar Province on Nov. 7, 2010.
“Everything I do as a Gold Star Mother is in honor and remembrance of his ultimate sacrifice to our nation and so that he will never be forgotten,” said Dale of her mission to support veterans and the families of others who lost their loved ones in wars and conflicts.
She said that this year also marked the centennial anniversary of the return of the United States Army Transport Wheaton to New York Harbor in May 1921, carrying the caskets of 5,169 American servicemen who had perished in Cherbourg, France, and Antwerp, Belgium.
“In the end, 43,909 Americans who lost their lives in World War I were returned home,” said Dale. “Homecoming 2021 engages our communities to remember the World War I fallen, their families, and the sacrifices of the World War I generation.”
Dale gave a brief history of the American Gold Star Mothers, formed in 1928 by mothers whose loved ones had perished during World War I.
She shared that as she researched the lives of the eight WWI servicemen remembered with cenotaphs on Memorial Island – Melvin O. Dills, Lonnie E. Hamilton, Aaron Wilson Kemp, Leve Lavendar Law, John Morris, Felix G. Poppell, Fay Roscoe Taylor and Fred Evans Woodward – she felt that she grew to know them.
“I reflect upon their lives and their eagerness to leave this paradise in order to join the armed forces to serve their country,” said Dale. She referred to them as “men of courage who stood up and made the decision to fight for a cause they may not have fully understood, but who realized it was a cause necessary for their country.”
“We will not let their glory fade if we remember to honor them every opportunity we have,” said Dale. “Say their names. Remember their ultimate sacrifice to our country. God bless America, land of the free because of the brave.”
In parting, Rev. Newhart asked the crowd to take a look at the flag flying above the island as they were leaving.
“The flag does not wave because of the wind,” he said. “The flag waves because of the last breath of our veterans who have fought for our freedoms. Let us always remember those who gave our freedom. Those who bought our freedom with their lives.”
At 10 a.m. Saturday, June 26, the Next Generation Veterans will unveil its Words from War Monumental Sculpture.
Photos by Brenda Ahearn
