Jefferson pays tribute ‘to the country’s fallen patriots’

JEFFERSON – The 250th anniversary of the birth of the United States was a focus of the Memorial Day ceremony in Jefferson on Monday, May 25.
Numerous floats paid tribute to the occasion, including a float highlighting the July 4th Festival to take place in Giddings Park in Jefferson.
The Jefferson-area veterans and Jefferson Area Chamber of Commerce organized the ceremony and parade.
“2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and Memorial Day is one of our nation’s greatest traditions,” said Elliott Rice, one of the organizers.
The day included a ceremony at the war memorial, the National Anthem performed by the Jefferson Area High School band, a parade to Oakdale Cemetery and a visit to the Vietnam War Helicopter Memorial across East Beech Street.
At the war memorial in the center of town, Pastor Fred Grimm gave the opening prayer and shared words from Lt. Col. John McCrae, a medical officer during World War I.
One of McCrae’s friends was killed in a poisonous gas attack by the Germans.
McCrae led his friend’s funeral and noticed red poppies growing on the graves.
He wrote the “In Flanders Fields” poem, which included these words: “In Flanders Fields, the poppies blow / Between the crosses, row on row, / That mark our place; and in the sky / The larks, still bravely singing, fly / Scarce heard amid the guns below. / We are the dead, short days ago / We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, / Loved and were loved, and now we lie / In Flanders fields. / Take up our quarrel with the foe: / To you from failing hands we throw / The torch; be yours to hold it high. / If ye break faith with us who die / We shall not sleep, though poppies grow / In Flanders fields.”
“Remember that on this day, and do our part to continue our mission as a free country,” Grimm said.
Guest speakers at the ceremony were Navy veteran David Zwaduk and Army veteran Mel Hanna.
“Traditionally, Memorial Day weekend is the start of summer and all the joy it brings. But let us not forget – it is a day of national reflection and remembrance. Memorial Day is a time to celebrate the lives of the more than 1 million men and women who loved this country enough to die for it, to reflect on the importance of freedoms and of values that our soldiers fought valiantly for,” Zwaduk said.
Zwaduk said Memorial Day is for the ones who cannot be with us this day.
“But we still need to draw attention and acknowledge the veterans who stand amongst us today and those who are currently serving our great nation,” Zwaduk said. “We may come from different branches, different walks of life, yet we are bound by a common thread – a commitment to protect our country and our way of life. We all gave and lost something for our country, and for some, these battles still reign.”
In his remarks, Hanna said they gathered this day to pay tribute “to the country’s fallen patriots.”
“We know that we can never give them as much as they gave us, but we can ensure they did not die in vain by keeping the flames of freedom burning bright,” Hanna said.
Hanna said people didn’t go to war because they loved fighting.
“They were called to be a part of something bigger than themselves. They were ordinary people who responded in extraordinary ways in extreme times,” Hanna said. “They rose to the nation’s call because they wanted to protect a nation that has given them so much.”