Memorial Day: A time to remember, honor
Photo by MANDI BATEMAN A rifle salute by veterans of Boundary County was among the Memorial Day remembrance activities at the Grandview Cemetery.
Photo by MANDI BATEMAN Flags lining the driveway.
Photo by MANDI BATEMAN Explorer Honor Guard during the Memorial Day ceremony.
Photo by MANDI BATEMAN American Legion Treasurer John Tucker reading the Roll Call of the Fallen.
Photo by MANDI BATEMAN Bonners Ferry High School Principal Kevin Dinning was chosen as this year’s speaker because of his connection to the next generation.
Photo by MANDI BATEMAN Alan Hamilton and Wally Nyberg stand by as Pat Warkentin plays Amazing Grace on the bagpipes.
Photo by MANDI BATEMAN Flags across the Grandview Cemetery.
Photo by MANDI BATEMAN Chaplain Len Pine singing the Star Spangled Banner.
Photo by MANDI BATEMAN The Border Patrol Explorer Honor Guard.
Photo by MANDI BATEMAN Master of Ceremonies, Ken Toline in the foreground.
Photo by MANDI BATEMAN The crowd filled all the seats and spilled outside as well.
BONNERS FERRY — On May 28, Memorial Day, a large crowd of people slowly gathered at the Grandview Cemetery, after the parade through downtown Bonners Ferry. They came to honor; they came to remember.
Master of Ceremonies Ken Toline led the attendees on an emotional journey, beginning with the Border Patrol Explorers Honor Guard and the Procession of Colors, followed by an invocation by Chaplain Jaak Sanders, and then Chaplain Len Pine sang the national anthem, including the not often heard second verse. Then American Legion Commander Manny Figueroa led the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance, before Toline took to the podium to introduce the featured speaker.
“This year when we decided that we wanted to find a guest speaker to present our message, we looked around,” said Toline. “We looked around at some veterans again. Finally it came to the fact that one of the things that we wanted in the American Legion, as veterans, was to pass the legacy on to the new generation, to the younger people.”
They chose Kevin Dinning, the principal of Bonners Ferry High School, because of his connection to the next generation.
“One thing I would say to you is that you should say yes to things when people ask you to do them,” said Dinning, going on to explain that helping people, especially veterans, should be important.
“How do we honor those who have fallen or passed?” he asked. “The only thing I can tell you is that I think it is important that we remember to honor those people through our actions.”
“In 1966, the federal government declared Waterloo, New York, the official birthplace of Memorial Day,” said Dinning. “That may be the official birthplace, as far as our federal government has labeled it, but today I would like to remind you that Memorial Day is every day that you choose it to be.”
He explained that Memorial Day is everywhere that you are when you decide to honor someone who has passed, someone who you had the opportunity to serve with, or someone that you knew very closely.
“Then you take that opportunity, with your actions, wherever you are, for whatever reason you remember that person, and you do something for them; and you do something they would be proud of,” said Dinning.
After Dinning finished speaking to the audience, American Legion Treasurer John Tucker took to the podium to read the Roll Call of the Fallen. The reflected emotions on the people’s faces, showed the impact of so many of the losses as each name was read.
The rifle honor guard salute was performed by Veterans of Boundary County, with Terry Spence on the bugle for Taps. Pat Warkentin then played Amazing Grace on the bagpipes and Chaplain Jaak Sanders took to the podium for the benediction.
As the ceremony ended, and people filtered back into the sunlight, American Flags stood tall along the drive, echoed by their smaller counterparts scattered among the graves.
And they remembered.