Topic: Memorial Day

Unlit flame on July 4th a symptom, could it be Clarksville just does not care?

By Turner McCullough Jr. | July 6, 2008 |

The Pillar of Cloud, Pillar of Fire  aka the Eternal Flame was conspicuously AWOL on July 4th! Our Eternal Flame seems to spend most of its time unlit. What does this signify about our dedication to “Supporting Our Troops!”

As the Independence Day weekend moves on, the smoke from fireworks has dissipated and the residue from our recent fireworks show have been cleared away. The traffic jams cleared up, and we each go on our merry way. Yes, the city’s celebration was quite a sight. And as noted in previous coverage here, the Pillar of Cloud, Pillar of Fire Eternal Flame Memorial was burning bright and strong at 11:30PM on July 3rd. The flags at City Hall were still sadly un-illuminated but the eternal flame did shine for that night. Hallelujah!!!

Alas, it was too good to last. It was not burning during the daylight hours on our nation’s birthday, and when the evening of July 4th dawned upon us the flame was still NOWHERE TO BE SEEN. It was AWOL again! We took date stamped photographs to verify this.

Are our public officials really committed to keeping our pledge to light the flame, and in doing so honoring our fallen military personnel? Or is this just a “showpiece” there only to be utilized during special promotions and city events? «Read the rest of this article»

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Ft. Donelson Memorial Day service rained out; women vets “disappointed”

By Christine Anne Piesyk | May 27, 2008 |

What was supposed to be the first sponsorship of its kind for Woman vVeterans of Tennessee was doused by downpours at the Fort Donelson National Battlefield and Cemetery on Monday. The rain failed to dampen the spirits of the servicewomen, who simply opened up dozens of red, white and blue umbrellas and kept on smiling.

“We’ll be back next year,” they promised.

It was to have the first time a women’s group hosted the event, in this case reflecting the combined efforts of the Women Veteran’s of America Chapter 20, the Women Veterans Network and VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System. The women veterans reflect every branch of the armed forces except the Coast Guard. «Read the rest of this article»

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Memorial Day vigil honors Vietnam Vets

By Christine Anne Piesyk | May 26, 2008 |

• Vietnam Vets honor POW-MIAs
• Rep. Joe Pitts addresses constituency
• “Eternal” Flame unlit on Memorial Day

One by one, as a bell tolled a single chime and the words “Absent, not forgotten” were spoken by people in the viewing stands, Vietnam veterans carried thirty-three empty chairs draped in the black and white POW-MIA logo, carrying the names of Tennessee soldiers still missing from the Vietnam War, to “center stage” and saluted.

To the side, another veteran lit a candle for each name called. Gery Ezell read the roster of the missing. Reverend Elijah Oliver gave the benediction for this vigil.

Dozens of Vietnam veterans and their families gathered in Public Square Sunday evening to honor their fallen comrades, Tennessee’s 33 POWs and MIAs of the Vietnam War. The event was sponsored by Chapter 396 of the Vietnam Veteran’s of America, who launched this annual service in 1989 when the fate of forty-three Tennessee soldier serving in Vietnam did not return. In the intervening years, 10 soldiers have been returned, the most recent in 2005. «Read the rest of this article»

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A simple thing proves to be beyond us!

By Turner McCullough Jr. | May 26, 2008 |

Lighting a flame is just too much to ask. Even during Memorial Day Weekend, the flame is out. Yet “We support the troops!” claims and stickers are everywhere. Who’s foolin’ who?

Yet another national observance dedicated to honoring the nation’s debt to its military forces, past and present, is upon us. Flags are flapping in the wind. Boy Scout Troops are preparing to descend upon various cemeteries to place small flags at veterans graves. Politicians gear up to make patriotic oratory praising America’s military forces and the noble sacrifices made by them and their families, past and present. Even the president has reminded us to remember the veterans as we celebrate this weekend. All of these annual gestures of reverence are expected and applauded

But there is an affront to all this staged posturing in our community. For quite some time now, Clarksville has been playing footloose and cheap with its symbolic gesture to military honor and sacrifice- the eternal flame on Public Square. The flame has been unlit for most of this year. Citizen inquiries have resulted in a myriad of replies, to include being told that, “Surely, the wind must have just blown it out!”

«Read the rest of this article»

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Memorial Day: Remember, honor the fallen

By Christine Anne Piesyk | May 25, 2008 |

Though summer is a month away, Memorial Day has become the traditional launch date for the summer season, with all the accompanying hype about barbecues, picnics, the end of school for many, the start of vacation season for many others.

And while all of that is true, we need to take the time to remember and honor the reason we have this holiday: our veterans and our soldiers on active duty.

War has littered America’s historical landscape, beginning with the Revolutionary War that forged the democracy we live in. The Civil War bloodied our own soil in a way that World Wars I and II, Korea and Vietnam, did not, though those wars took an enormous toll on American soldiers and their families. There have been other battles along the way, inclduing the much more recent and controversial Gulf Wars I and II (a.k.a the Iraq war). «Read the rest of this article»

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