Residents, veterans, elected officials and first responders gathered on the Wood County courthouse lawn Monday morning, May 25, to honor the nation’s fallen service members during the annual Memorial Day remembrance ceremony.
The ceremony opened with a welcome from veteran U.S. Army Sgt. Jason Attaway. Attaway reminded attendees of the purpose of the holiday and the sacrifices made by military members who died in service to the country.
“We gather to honor the men and women who gave their lives in service to our country,” Attaway told the crowd. “We pause to remember their sacrifice, their courage and the freedom they secured for us.”
Special recognition was given to Gold Star families, including the families of Sgt. Josh Powell, who paid the ultimate sacrifice in Afghanistan in 2011, and Staff Sgt. Richard Vasquez, who gave his life in Afghanistan in 2013. Attaway also thanked veterans in attendance and local first responders, including the Wood County Sheriff’s Office, Quitman Police Department and Quitman Fire Department.
The invocation was led by James Attaway, who prayed for deployed service members, their families and Gold Star families.
“Thank you for allowing us to gather here in freedom,” Attaway said. “We can do that because of the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms.”
The featured speaker was retired Air Force veteran Jason Howland, who served 20 years as a civil engineer and continues to support veterans and the community through organizations including the Quitman-Lake Fork Kiwanis Club, Marine Corps League and Wood County’s Ruck for the Fallen Board of Directors.
Howland reminded attendees that Memorial Day is not meant to celebrate veterans who returned home safely, but to honor those who never did.
“Memorial Day is not about those of us who served and came home,” Howland said. “It’s about those who did not come home — the ones whose families received a folded flag instead of a homecoming.”
During his address, Howland named several fallen Air Force engineers killed during the Iraq War, including Tech. Sgt. Anthony Capra, Staff Sgt. Christopher Frost and Staff Sgt. Travis Griffin.
“Remembrance starts with names,” he said.
Howland also challenged attendees to honor fallen service members through lives of continued service and community involvement.
“Patriotism is not found only on battlefields,” he said. “It is found in communities and people who quietly serve, in citizens who refuse to be spectators.”
He encouraged younger generations to recognize the meaning behind the holiday.
“Memorial Day is more than just a day off,” Howland said. “It is an inheritance. The freedoms you enjoy were paid for.”
The ceremony concluded with a flag observance in which the American flag, initially displayed at half-staff in honor of fallen service members, was raised to full-staff position as a symbol of the nation’s resolve and enduring freedom.
Organizers thanked the community for attending and for continuing to support local veterans and military families.