Medina 250 event honors veterans

The dedication of a Medina 250 plaque honoring veterans from 1776 to the present was held Saturday, April 18, at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial next to the County Veterans Service Office.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated in 1990 and then reconstructed and rededicated in May 2020. It is etched with the names of the 33 Medina County residents who lost their lives during the Vietnam War. The site, complete with service flags and memorial pavers, is a place to remember and pay respects to all who have fallen in defense of American freedom.

Army Col. (ret.) Dave Taylor, a member of the Medina 250 committee, opened the event by thanking the large group for attending. “Today is a day of history, remembrance and respect. We take the time to remember those who fought for our freedom since our country’s founding in 1776 to the current year. Those passing by on Huntington or Northland Drive are not aware that we gather here this morning. They are busy with life’s chores, family activities, getting children to events or shopping for food. And that is OK. After all, why do our men and women in the military make the sacrifices we make if not so Americans can live in peace?”

The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Dominic Giordano, wearing his desert uniform from his combat tour in Afghanistan. Giordano is a retired lieutenant colonel and Airborne Ranger. The honor guard from VFW Post 5137 provided volleys of fire, and David Harrison from Bugles Across America sounded “Taps.” Deacon Scott Cerrito, from St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, closed the ceremony with a benediction that included blessing the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the Medina 250 plaque.

Three speakers reflected on what the Medina 250 memorial meant to them. Medina Mayor Jim Shields said, “Medina 250 reminds us of our unwavering commitment to veterans.” He focused on the legacy of World War II veteran Ralph Waite, who passed away in 2020. “He encouraged me in so many ways and dedicated his postwar life to serving veterans.”

Shields added, “Mr. Waite was best known for his favorite saying, which I have at my desk in the mayor’s office: ‘Community service is the rent we owe for the space we occupy on Earth.’”

Medina County Probate and Juvenile Court Judge Kevin Dunn remembered celebrating the Bicentennial as a young boy. “We are happy to be here another 50 years later, especially knowing that veterans are part of the reason that we are still here as a country and doing so well. … Freedom doesn’t come for free. There’s a cost to it, and it’s been expended for many of you in this audience and our predecessors … putting their lives at risk, and giving them up on occasions, to benefit our society.”

The third speaker, Medina County Veterans Service Officer Ed Zackery, reflected on the past 250 years since America was founded. “They came, many fought, and many died. A nation was born from the boldest idea ever put to paper, that all men are created equal, and that every person is endowed with those inalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

Zackery added that it can be difficult for “imperfect people to uphold perfect ideals,” but said that America still offers something rare: “a place where those unalienable rights are not granted by kings or dictators, but recognized and inherent to every human being, a place where the dream of equality, though unfinished, still remains alive.”