Balance between respect for the fallen and the start of summer

For those who wanted to take advantage of it, this past weekend offered a balance of honoring the men and women who gave their life so we could enjoy the many activities the Littleton/Lake Gaston area has to offer.  Area residents and visitors had a potpourri of events to attend.  They included memorial services and sandwiched in between were the things that living in a free country has to offer.

I could think of no better way to start off the weekend than by attending the American Legion spaghetti dinner.  To my pleasant surprise when we arrived there was a table set up with poppies for all those who wanted to participate. Since 1918 poppies have been a symbol for those who have died in service of our country and in other countries around the world. 

Right across from the table with poppies was the Littleton Lions Club table set up for a fundraiser at Lakeland Theatre. The show will be Hello Dolly on June 18. 

Inside the post hall was what I consider the best spaghetti dinner around, for those of you who feel slighted, I have never had a bad spaghetti dinner, just some better than others. I hadn’t been to the Legion Post in a couple of months so I was surprised and pleased with the new set up.  The best part is the first thing you find after paying for your meal is the fresh baked goods table. 

This would have made my mother happy, as you probably know by reading my column her motto was, “life is short eat dessert first.”  Unfortunately my wife didn’t know my mother long enough to be totally sold on that order of things.  But, we did get something to take home.  Just like spaghetti there is no such thing as a bad chocolate chip cookie, and these were the best fresh baked ones I have had in a long long time.

After picking up a takeout dinner we headed to the Lake Gaston Chamber for the Battle of the BBQ set up and chamber get-together. For us visiting with the cookers is always a highlight. Many of the cookers and teams know us and the new ones are always a pleasure to meet.  This year one of the new cookers was the Haulin’ Hog  Cooking Team.  Their set up was decorated for party time in the Caribbean or Hawaii.  When we saw Blair Barns and Jennifer Collins dancing alongside the tent to the music supplied by the Lake Gaston Chamber it added to the party atmosphere.  

For myself I was really pleased to see that just like in years past some of the cookers kept Memorial Day in mind.  In fact the two awards for showmanship went to two of them,  Nothin “Butt” Fun and Minute Man Cookers.  They both have had Memorial Day themes in the past.  The first place winner was Steve Ivy with Nothin “Butt” Fun.  This year he added to one of the most historical displays of military memorabilia that I’ve seen outside of a museum.

For Earl Fowler of Minute Man, he had a personal tribute to his son-in-law, Anthony Lachance, who died of cancer at the end of a 20-year career in the Army.   His daughter Susie Lachance was also there. 

The highlight of the night for us, although we didn’t know it at the time, was when David Burke offered a prepared plate of some of the best spare ribs I have ever had, they were cooked by Joe Peterson. If Joe ever retires from Dominion, the competition in town better hope he doesn’t open up a rib shack.

We spent Saturday afternoon attending the BBQ again and then moving on to the Lions Club Fish Fry.  On the way to the BBQ as we were going over Eaton Ferry bridge we were amazed at the few boats out on the main lake.  We hoped this wasn’t a sign of the difficult times many people are experiencing. 

When we arrived at the Chamber it was crowded with people having a good time and enjoying the BBQ. In fact, if I had to base the economy on the activity at the Chamber, I would have to say the hard times are over. 

Our next stop was the Lake Gaston Lions Club Fish Fry.  We were surprised that there were so many people already working hard getting ready for the 4:30 p.m. event.  We were told that they had been there for several hours working on setting things up and finishing up cutting the grass that they started earlier in the week. 

Much to my dislike, I can’t spend too much time in the sun anymore so we were only out a short time. 

On Sunday we attended the American Legion Memorial Service. It rained just before we were supposed to leave for the ceremony and the clouds stayed around throughout the entire ceremony.  The sky looked more like a funeral sky than a celebration sky, fitting of the event.  The American Legion Posts 308 and 425 do an excellent job of paying tribute to the fallen soldiers, Marines, Navy and Airmen.

This year’s ceremony will stay with me for two reasons, Commander Dick Kohl’s talking about being one of five officers who trained together and he was the only one who came back from Vietnam.   The guest speaker was Littleton Town Commissioner Patrick MacRae.  He started off by commenting that he had tears in his eyes while writing the speech and would probably have them in his eyes when he completed it. 

It was a speech that dealt with those who have given their lives from the Civil War until now.  A line in his speech, “…no American casualty, regardless of the manner of that death while serving and protecting our country was and is never in vain, because it is impossible to cheapen or tarnish such a gift,”  is memorable. It reminded people that not all deaths in a combat zone are in the heat of battle. 

He closed his speech by mentioning the names of several men he has known over the years who have given their life for our freedom.  At that point I was reminded that he had fulfilled the last lines of the World War I poem, In Flanders Field.   Those lines read; “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.”

By mentioning the names each year of those we know who have died we do not break the faith of those who die.  By naming those men in his speech MacRae has kept the memory alive for one more year.  While he spoke I thought of the men I knew who had lost their lives and I assume many of the men and women in the gathering did the same.

Although my weekend ended with that event, I was pleased to find out that my poem, “I see the men of wars gone by,” was read at the Roanoke Valley Veterans Center by Halifax County Commissioner  J. Rives (Judge) Manning, Jr. It was an honor that I will long remember.

As I looked back over the weekend I was pleased that it started with me getting a poppy to remember those who have given their life for our freedom and ended with a poem, honoring those men and women.  The tributes at the start and end of the weekend for those who have died for us served as the book ends for all the events that living in freedom allows us to attend.