Memorial Day service honors fallen veterans at Liberty Cemetery

Veterans organizations and community members gathered May 24 at Liberty Cemetery in Paris Township for a Memorial Day service honoring the men and women who died in military service to the United States.

The service was presented by the Don V. Cross American Legion Post 357 and the Donald G. Whetstone VFW Post 4120.

American Legion Post 357 Commander Debi Biggins welcomed those attending and served as master of ceremonies for the program.

Pastor Dennis Coy of the Congregational United Church of Christ offered both the invocation and benediction during the ceremony.

“We gather this day, not in triumph, but in reverence,” Coy said during the invocation. “We come to remember those who were young, who were beloved, who laid down futures we will never see so that we might stand here in the light of this day free.”

Coy encouraged those attending to remember the sacrifices made by military service members and the families who continue carrying their loss.

“May we be worthy of that sacrifice,” Coy said. “May we resist the ease of forgetting.”

The ceremony also included the National Anthem, the Pledge of Allegiance and patriotic observances recognizing fallen service members.

Featured speaker William Logozzo, a 22-year U.S. Army veteran, reflected on the meaning of Memorial Day and the sacrifices made by military personnel throughout the nation’s history.

“For many Americans, the last Monday in May marks the unofficial start of summer,” Logozzo said. “For those who served in the military, Memorial Day holds a greater meaning as it commemorates the brave men and women who lost their lives defending our great nation.”

Logozzo served during the Vietnam War and retired following Desert Storm in 1992. Born in Magnolia in 1946, he graduated from Malvern High School in 1964 and is a member of American Legion Post 375 in Malvern and a life member of VFW Post 4120 in Minerva.

During his remarks, Logozzo spoke about the importance of remembering not only the sacrifices of military service members, but also the individual stories behind those sacrifices.

“To truly honor their lives, we must share their stories with others and ensure that memories live on even though they are gone,” Logozzo said.

He shared memories of fellow soldiers lost during the Vietnam War, including Army Specialist Jerry Norman Duffy of Charlotte, Michigan, who was killed just days before returning home.

“He only had four days left in country,” Logozzo said. “He paid the ultimate sacrifice.”

Logozzo said the stories of fallen service members should continue being shared for future generations.

“No matter where the battlefield was, the mountains of Afghanistan, islands of the Pacific, deserts of Iraq or Syria, battle areas of Korea, jungles of Vietnam or elsewhere, the stories of the fallen matter and should never be forgotten,” he said.

He concluded by encouraging those attending to honor veterans through their actions and commitment to the nation’s values.

“Duty, honor, country,” Logozzo said. “They lived for it and they died for it.”

Members of VFW Post 4120 conducted the traditional three-volley salute during the ceremony.

Coy closed the service by urging those attending to continue honoring fallen veterans beyond Memorial Day observances.

“Go and remember not only today when flags are flying and the ceremony calls it forth, but on the ordinary days,” Coy said. “Freedom asks nothing of you because someone else already paid.”