NEWELL—A small crowd gathered at the Newell Cemetery for a Memorial Day service to honor the brave men and women who gave their lives in service to our nation on the morning of May 25.
The local VFW Post 5807 organized the services. Quartermaster Nila Charles, VFW Post 5807, greeted the crowd and introduced the speaker, Lance Putnam. Putnam spent 26 years in Army Special Operations and did five combat tours in the War on Terrorism. He was awarded two Bronze Stars. Putnam retired in 2021 and is now a pastor at Newell Christian Fellowship.
Putnam welcomed those gathered and reflected on the meaning of Memorial Day. “Good morning, everybody. Thank you guys so much for coming out today. So today we’re here to honor the brave men and women who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for the cause of freedom. Today is not about those of us that have worn the uniform at one time in our lives, but it’s about our brothers and sisters, husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, friends and relatives who never got to take the uniform off,” he said.
He went on to share the names and stories of fallen heroes and then said, “Thousands of names like these have answered the call of their nation and never returned home.”
After sharing a quote from a letter written by Abraham Lincoln to a mother who lost five sons in the Civil War, Putnam said, “Today we thank these men and women for their sacrifice. The very freedoms that we enjoy in this nation we have today are because of them. We thank them, we honor them, and most importantly, we will never forget them.”
Following his address, the memorial wreath was laid, followed by an honor guard rifle volley.
Memorial Day services were also held at the Vale Cemetery and Wilson Cemetery earlier in the morning on May 25.
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