A Memorial Day Ceremony on the grounds of the Box Butte County Courthouse took place on Monday morning, giving people an opportunity to honor those service men and women who have passed on.
During the ceremony, Dr. Mark Chu, retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel, shared his experience and the importance of honoring the sacrifices made in service to the nation.
“After serving in the United States Army, Army National Guard, Air Guard with the Air Force for more than 20 years,” said Chu. “I remember when I first enlisted as an Army, Private First Class as a tank mechanic, and I stationed in Fort Irwin, California, in the middle of the Mojave Desert National Training Center—temperatures 135 degrees in the shade. I remember that back in the ‘80s, and I became an Army physician, and was assigned to the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, known as M.A.S.H. Unit, in Wisbaden, Germany.”
Chu said that he was deployed during the Bosnian War, and again in Iraq in 2004. He explained that it was an honor to be part of the ceremony and to take time to honor the fallen.
“Today is my distinct privilege, and honor to stand before you to speak at this solemn occasion to honor our brave men and women who served, and gave their life to our country,” Chu said. “Memorial Day has officially become the beginning of summer. Communities across the nation host parades, visiting cemeteries and memorials. Also, some Americans go to the mall to shop and hunt for the greatest bargain this holiday, the greatest sale; also go to the beaches to have a good time and gather together with friends and family in the backyard to barbecue, to have a lot of fun.
“But, most importantly, we remember our fallen heroes: our Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors, Marines, Coast Guard, National Guard, Reserves, who gave their lives to protect our way of life, to give us security and peace at home,” said Chu. “We salute to our heroes who sacrifice their lives for our country’s. They loved our countrymen enough to die for them, and the United States, and the freedom for which it stands, and the freedom for which it endures. This freedom has not been bought cheaply. It has a cost. Each men and women died for a cause which is more important than their own lives.”
Chu said that during his service in Europe, he observed many members of the older generation sharing gratitude for their service and for liberating them from the tyranny of Nazism during World War II. However, he noted that younger generations did not recognize those sacrifices as readily. He took time to pay tribute to those who gave their lives. He encouraged everyone to reflect on the high cost of freedom and to never take it for granted.
“They paid the ultimate price for victory and freedom,” Chu said. “We pay tribute to them today. The lives they gave for us, we can never replace them, nor can we ever repay them. But, we can always remember them.”
The following are photos from the ceremony:
