OSWEGO – Before celebrating the “start of the summer,” as Mayor Billy Barlow and many others described it, the City of Oswego honored its fallen service members and veterans and all those across the U.S. in its annual Memorial Day Celebration.
A crowd of citizens and veterans across Oswego came together on Monday, May 31 at Veterans Park along the Oswego River. The celebration was put on by the Oswego City Veterans Council. Three speakers presented, as well as the sounding of a bugle to honor those who have fallen.
The ceremony was hosted by Lieutenant George Hoffman, the President of the Oswego Veterans Council and a Navy veteran himself. Hoffman started by honoring the fallen “comrades,” as he put it, by offering emblems of eternity and the U.S. flag.
These were placed at the center of the memorial at Veteran’s Park along with several small flags staked in the ground. He then proceeded with his speech in which he reminded those in attendance that they must take time throughout the day to remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.
“Today we owe it to our fallen heroes to take time to pause from our routine, so we may respectfully honor their lives and sacrifice for liberty and freedom,” Hoffman said. “Just one day to remember the sacrifice of those who have gone before us, and also to remind those who have been touched by the pain of war that the lives they mourn were not offered in vain.”
Hoffman continued on looking ahead towards the future of the United States, the children. He urged those in charge with raising America’s youth to teach them about the importance of Memorial Day.
“Let’s never forget this day, so I request that those that are in charge of our youth on behalf of my military brothers and sisters, teach them of this day,” Hoffman said.
Hoffman, like Barlow and the second speaker Alan Wood, the VFW Fifth District commander, wrapped up his portion of the ceremony by bringing it back to what Memorial Day is all about: the country’s fallen heroes. Hoffman reminded everyone to take time to say “thank you” to all those who served.
After his portion of the speech, Hoffman handed the reins to Wood who again encouraged everyone to recognize the U.S. veterans. He thanked everyone in attendance, paying special tribute to “Golden Mothers” or Gold Star Mothers who lost their son or daughter in service of the U.S. Armed Forces. Wood also spoke on the general idea of Memorial Day. While he said it has become commercialized, he wants American citizens to find the true meaning of the special day.
“The significance of this day becomes at times confused or distorted, and the true meaning is sometimes lost to commercialism or [enjoying] forgetful indulgence of us who are here today to recognize the magnitude of the accomplishments and deeds of our men and women,” Wood said.
The final guest speaker of the late morning event was Barlow who recognized several people in attendance, including members of the Oswego Common Council – Council President Rob Corradino, Councilor Tim Plunkett, Councilor Shawn Burridge, Council Vice President Kevin Hill and Councilor John Gosek. Barlow also made note of the director of Oswego County Veterans Services, Jamie Hamlin, as well as the Oswego Fire and Police Departments, thanking them for attending the event.
Barlow shared an excerpt from President Ronald Reagan’s speech on this day in 1982 from the Arlington National Cemetery. In his speech, Reagan said that few people have become part of our national heritage since President Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address because of an “inadequacy of words,” not an inadequacy of speakers. Barlow continued to quote Reagan when he said, “I have no illusions of what I can add now to the silent testimony of those who gave their lives willingly for their country.”
“It is that silent testimony that countless individuals that love this country and everything it stands for so much [that] they were willing to die for it,” Barlow said. “That is the reason we are here today. Words cannot capture the significance of [the people that] we honor today.”
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