Thousands of Tristate residents gathered at parades and cemeteries Monday to offer their annual gratitude to Americans who gave their lives at war.
There was a time when the crowds would have been bigger, when more families had been touched directly by war's loss. Nevertheless, the remembrance now is as heartfelt.
At mid-day, Gary Willis stood on a hill in Hamilton's Greenwood Cemetery. It was the same spot where his father, an Air Force veteran, stood every year after his return from Europe and World War II.
"He gave his time and his effort," said Mr. Willis, accompanied by his mother, Dorothy. "We want to carry that on."
In Green Township, under threatening gray skies, veterans slowly lowered a faded black Prisoners of War flag, tattered American flag and worn Ohio state flag that have been flying in Veterans Park since last Memorial Day.
As each one was retired, a veteran raised a crisp new flag to the top of the three poles. The 50 veterans gathered -- representing wars from World War II to Desert Storm -- raised their hands to their brows in a salute and watched the new flags wave in the gentle breeze.
"It's not just about picnics and hot dogs," Green Township trustee Bill Seitz told the crowd as aromas from grills at nearby cookouts wafted through the air. "It's about the sacrifice of our veterans . . . who helped make this a great, great country." At the start, a festival mood met the parade in Hamilton as people lined the mile-long route. Marchers waved and shouted to friends. The George Washington Drill Team mugged for television cameras. The Badin High School Marching Band played "Louie, Louie."
The parade finished at the cemetery where white crosses, American flags and bouquets reminded everyone of the day's somber meaning. "This is one of the most difficult times for us as veterans to be standing before you," said emcee Jerry Carroll. "Tremendous amounts of energy and life have gone to make sure we have the greatest country in the world."
Local historian and writer Jim Blount quoted from Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, in which the president dedicated part of the battlefield as a graveyard: "The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here. But it cannot forget what they did here."
Susan Champ shoulders grandson Nathan Champ at the Blue Ash parade.
(Ernest Coleman photo)
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A squad shot two rounds, representing the American Legion Post 138 and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1069 of Fairfield.
As the ceremony ended, it began to rain.
Monday's ceremony meant something different for each generation gathered, Green Township residents said.
For veterans like William Lamey, it was a personal connection to war.
"It is a way to perpetuate the memory of our fallen comrades and honor those who served," said World War II veteran Mr. Lamey, 72, of Green Township. He spent time in England and was in the Pacific Theatre just in time for Iwo Jima.
For Beverly Jostworthy, it was a way to carry on her father's memory. Robert Pellman, a World War II veteran and prisoner of war, died three years ago.
"Because of his experience, it deepened his loyalty in the country and he always told us to appreciate the freedom we have," said Mrs. Jostworthy, 46, of Green Township. "(Memorial Day) has become more important to me since he passed on."
For those who have no memories of the U.S. being at war, like 8-year-old Nick Fritsch, Monday's ceremony was a chance to better understand his grandfather's World War II military service.
"My grandfather has given me some of his medals," the Delhi Township boy said after he took a tour of an M60-A3 tank in Veterans Park that serves as a memorial.
Dorothy Grieble, president of the Ladies Auxiliary of the Green Township Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10380, placed a cross covered in red poppies in front of the pole flying an American flag.
And as the ceremony concluded, veterans saluted while a trumpeter played taps.
As Northern Kentuckians turned out for Memorial Day parades in more than half a dozen cities Monday, speakers urged the crowds not to forget the holiday's true meaning.
"Let's try to remember those who've sacrificed their lives for us," Newport resident Nellie Johnson told spectators at her city's ceremony. "When you see (veterans), say, "Thank you for what you did to protect our country, and give us our freedom.' " Ms. Johnson knows firsthand the pain of losing a loved one in battle. More than half a century ago, her brother, Benton Hanlon, was killed at the age of 25 in the Battle of the Bulge.
"You never forget something like that," said Ms. Johnson, who for decades has helped organize Newport's Memorial Day Parade. "I don't think young people today realize exactly what Memorial Day stands for. All they know is it's a three-day holiday."
For many, the holiday was a chance to get reacquainted with childhood friends or former neighbors.
Former Bellevue resident Carol Alford, who splits her residency between Cincinnati and Utah, pointed excitedly as her former dentist and a man who used to own a Bellevue barber shop, marched by.
"We watch the parade every year,' said Ed Hausfeld, 71, as he sat in his lawn chair, a small American flag atop his hat. "You get to see a lot of people you haven't seen for a long time." Cindy Schroeder contributed.
They live in Sycamore Township.
