Community remembers fallen on Memorial Day

More than 600 American flags fluttered in a gentle breeze Saturday as a couple hundred or more locals and relatives gathered at Spring Canyon Cemetery Memorial Day for the annual Isle of Flags service to remember the fallen veterans and dedicate flags to them.

"I stand in awe of the decorations here today," said Grant County Commissioner Danny Stone, in his keynote address. "These flags that line these roads, these pathways around these graves ... It's a fantastic memorial. And it's the first time that I've had the privilege of being here on Memorial Day."

Stone, who lives near Hartline, said Memorial Day is a day for both grief and celebration, and that "to truly honor their lives, we must share their stories with others and ensure their memories live on even though they are gone."

He shared two.

The first was of U.S. Army Specialist Laurie Piestewa, who deployed to Iraq in March 2003, where her group was ambushed on the way to Nasiriyah and taken prisoner. She did not survive. Piestewa was the first woman service member to die in Iraq, and first Native American woman killed while fighting for the U.S. military.

The second story that Stone recalled, his voice cracking with emotion at times, was from when he was 9 years old and his uncle would not return home from Vietnam.

U.S. Marine Cpl. Kenneth M. Kessinger, from Wilbur, Washington, was asked to deploy on top of a hill near Duc Pho, Quang Ngai, a province of Vietnam. A landmine injured a soldier. Kessinger ran to help load the wounded onto a helicopter hovering just off the ground, when a 1,000-pound bomb exploded underneath it.

"I stood on that hill six years ago, to commemorate his death, in the exact place where he lost his life," Stone said. "And today I'm commemorating him again, right here, with you, as we commemorate all these that gave their lives for us, and all those who were willing to, as well. ...

"Stories of the fallen matter and need to be told," Stone continued. "By sharing their stories, we keep their memories alive and give others a glimpse of military service that aims to inspire them to create a better world, a stronger nation, and kinder communities. ...

"On Memorial Day, we reflect and share the experiences of our fallen loved ones, but tomorrow, and in the days that follow, we need to act. Let's carry their sacrifice with us in our hearts, strive to honor their memory by being good and faithful, hopeful and strong, and committed to building a brighter future for all of us, all our neighbors, our families, our country."