This is the short version of my remarks this morning at the Opening ceremonies for the 62nd St. John
Catholic Church Christmas Bazaar December 5, 2015 at 8:00 am
By Baltimore Sun writer Kevin E. Dayhoff, the former
mayor of Westminster from 2001-2005
This year the bazaar is open from 8:30 a.m. – 4:00
p.m.
43 Monroe Street, Westminster, MD 21157
Good morning. On behalf of Westminster’s past and present
elected officials, I would like to welcome you to the 62nd consecutive
St. John Christmas Bazaar.
For the past 12-years I have been a journalist at the
Baltimore Sun writing mostly history. At my age I am greatly amused that many
events that took place in my childhood are now studied as history by today’s
school children.
I look forward to the Christmas bazaar every year. When I
was very young, the bazaar was part of a family adventure during the Christmas
season.
During my high school years from 1969 through 1971, I often
attended Mass at St. John with a good friend. I recall when the last Mass was
held on February 4, 1968 at the church building on Main Street in town.
Last year when my wife Caroline and I were enjoying lunch at
the bazaar with Mary Mussari, I was pleased when John Bryan asked me to speak
at this year’s opening. Mr. Bryan told me that recently the ceremony has been
dedicated to our servicemen and women – - and that this year we are paying a
special recognition to Vietnam Vets.
It was just a few short weeks ago that our community came
together to observe Veterans Day. No community does it better than Carroll
County.
I served stateside in the United States Marine Corps Reserve
from 1971 to 1973. Although I was not deployed, it has remained a sobering
event in my life to have stepped-up the plate, despite a high draft number,
signed on the dotted line, and
volunteered to serve during the Vietnam War.
This year, schools set the example for all of Carroll County
by commemorating Veterans Day with many thoughtful, and well-planned services
and programs.
In recent years Veterans Day has turned more somber. In the past, much of the
community came together to celebrate
the end of World War One and World War Two, and the Korean War.
Much of the nation saw nothing to celebrate for decades
after the end of the Vietnam War. The war had dragged-on for over 19 years - for
what seemed an eternity.
After the United States ended its direct involvement in the
war on August 15, 1973, veterans were treated with scorn by the American left
that proudly heaped insult upon injury upon those who served during the war.
Thankfully, the current youngest generation has seen fit to
honor its veterans that have served proudly in the first and second Gulf Wars –
and they treat Vietnam veterans with great dignity and respect.
Over 2.7 million Americans served in the Vietnam War. The
average age was 19. Of that number, 300,000 were wounded in action, and 75,000
were disabled.
It has been estimated that almost 5 million military
personnel and civilians, from all sides, lost their life in the Vietnam War. Of
the 58,200 names listed on the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington DC, 1,046
are Marylanders who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Although many Vietnam era vets still harbor a deep-seated
resentment as to how we were treated, the manner in which we are treated by the
youngest generation brings tears to our eyes and has gone a long way to heal
the wounds of decades of being abused and ignored.
Today, we pay a special tribute to the eighteen fallen
heroes from Carroll County, whose faces are etched in the black granite
monument in the Vietnam Memorial Park on Willis Street that was dedicated on
May 28, 1990.
We hold dear in our hearts the eighteen names: Ronald Kenny;
Christopher Miller, Jr.; Carl Egolf; James Byers; Russell Amoss; Russell
Milberry; Everett Justice, Jr.; Michael Kidd; John Feezer; Sherman Flanagan,
Jr.; Muriel Groomes; Joseph Oreto; Frederick Magsamen; Franklin Underwood, Jr.;
James Zumbrun; Joseph Blickenstaff, Jr.; David Steger; and Herbert Mulkey, Jr.
The faces of the eighteen names on the monument are frozen
in time. Some we knew. Some we didn’t. But they were all someone’s son or
father or brother or uncle – or a cherished childhood friend. Their faces have
been silent for many years, but they all have a story to tell.
Today it is only right to recall the profound words from Ephesians,
“Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles
of the devil, and be armed with the power of the Spirit, so that we may
continue to make the Gospel understandable to those of us, who after many years,
still have unanswered questions…”
God Bless and Semper Fi to all our brothers and sisters in
uniform that served and died to protect our freedoms - and cannot attend the
bazaar. Thank you for having me speak with you today. It was an honor.
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