The Kissing Tree Veterans Group hosted a Memorial Day ceremony at Independence Hall at Kissing Tree. Above, Kelly Dickson helps her friend Sue Giegelman to remember her husband Larry, who was a veteran. Top right, The San Marcos High School Air Force Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps presented the colors. Right, Rev. Christian Hawley gave the invocation with the help of his son, Frank. Bottom right, The AFJROTC cadets Tyler Wray, Robert Gabrian, Rowena Brown and Jackson Murphree. Below center, U.S. Army Major General Ronald W. Burkett II. Bottom left, Lynda Kellogg helped get her dog Marley dressed for the occasion.
Daily Record photos by Dalton Sweat
Kissing Tree Veterans Group hosts Memorial Day ceremony
More than 100 people turned out at Independence Hall at Kissing Tree to honor the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military for Memorial Day.
The ceremony included a speech by U.S. Army Major General Ronald W. Burkett II, who serves as the commander for the 26th Infantry Division at Camp Mabry.
“When I went to Normandy, I went with my war college class, and we walked that national cemetery,” Burkett said of the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial that honors American troops who died in Europe during World War II. “Beautiful, an absolutely beautiful day. We saw those white crosses and on the inscription it said, ‘Known only to God.’ We know. We served with them. We know their values. We know what drove them. We don’t know their names. But they’re us. They’re the best of us. ... There’s a quote, by then a young sergeant, that said, ‘You can manufacture weapons. You can purchase ammunition, but you can’t buy valor, and you can’t pull heroes off an assembly line.’” Following the ceremony, those in attendance were asked to sign the name of a veteran they wanted to remember on a board outside of Independence Hall. It was noted that the Kissing Tree Veteran Group has lost eight members, many of which had family on hand for the ceremony.
