Even after hosting many similar ceremonies, chaplain J.R. Jones could not hide the emotion in his voice as he paid tribute to fallen heroes at the American Legion’s honor guard ceremony at Memorial Gardens of the Keys cemetery on May 30.
“Every hamburger, every beer, every Coca-Cola we enjoy was paid for by those laying in Arlington and all the military cemeteries around our great nation,” said Jones. “We owe them a debt we cannot pay.
“Those of us that are veterans here, we were lucky to come home and grow old. But those friends we remember – kids that went off to protect this nation and never got a chance to come home and have a family and grow old, that’s why we’re here today.”
Lowering the flag to half-staff for a few moments, Jones reminded the crowd gathered to pay their respects that Memorial Day is intended as a celebration of the freedoms won by the fallen and enjoyed by those who call the United States home.
Photos by Alex Rickert
