Story - The Meade County Messenger


Vol. 117, No. 22	June 3, 2009

HONORING OUR DEAD
Memorial Day 2009

By VICKEY CARWILE and LARRY SEE JR.
Messenger Staff

In Brandenburg, on the military post at Fort Knox and in the small Fort Duffield Union cemetery, area residents paused to remember the nation’s dead May 25.

Following are highlights from the various events:

Brandenburg:
A small crowd gathered in front of the Meade County Courthouse May 25, during a somber Memorial Day ceremony.

VFW Post 11404 Commander Wilbur Beasley presented a short speech about fallen heroes who paid the ultimate price. “To me, there’s nothing more important than honoring those who gave so much so that we can live in peace in this country,” he said.

“As long as there are at least two surviving VFW members, we will continue to hold this memorial,” Beasley added.

Acting Chaplain Paul H. Jaenichen gave the invocation, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. VFW Post Ladies Auxiliary President Gloria Brady, then laid a wreath at the base of the war memorial. After the ceremony, everyone went to the VFW building for an open house and fellowship.

Fort Knox:
Fort Knox Armor Center Commander Col. David Teeples started his remarks by commenting that Arlington National Cemetery is a majestic place.

“Arlington National Cemtery is the nation’s greatest shring,” he said. “Today we are here to commemorate the brave men and women who gave of their lives so that we could have our freedom.”
Not only do we mourn for them, Teeples said, but we also appreciate the fact they they have died for us so that we can continue to live our lives in peace and freedom.

“We don’t only need to remember these people on Memorial Day, but we need to honor and remember them and show our respect for these fallen heroes every day,” he commented.

The event also included a wreath-laying, patriotic music from the 113th Army Band and a 21-gun salute.

Fort Duffield:
Local historian, author and avid Fort Duffield Heritage Committee volunteer Monie Matthews presented remarks during the event’s Memorial Day events.

Members of the Ninth Michigan Infantry and the Western Federal Blues stand at the ready for the color guard ceremony at the Fort Duffield Memorial Day services. Also in the picture is Brandenburg resident and medical re-enactor Michael Biscan, second from right, and Meade County native Micah Trent, far right.

Matthews’ comments focus on four preople whose names are closely tied to the West Point fort.
They included Rev. George Duffield Sr.; George Duffield Jr; Chaplain John Lozier and Frank Lord.

Rev. Duffield offered a prayer just before the soldiers from the Ninth Michigan headed off to the Civil War.

“He knew well what these men were going into and knew what they were going to take with them when they tried to stop this rebellion,” Matthews said.

In a Memorial Day service, George Duffield Jr offered at a Michigan church, he preached on much the same thing, Matthews said. the entire service was 38 pages long, but he didn’t offer the full text.

Chaplain Lozier wrote several psalms for the men and Lord read the “Bivouac of the Dead” during the 1895 Grand Army of the Republic reunion there.

“These people have meant a lot to this particular site over the years,” Matthews said. “The Duffields were involved in the Civil War and Chaplain Lozier inspired the men and the relief corps.”

Matthews concluded by saying 620,000 people died in the Civil War, a number which has yet to be eclipsed by all of the wars since that time.

In addition to Matthews’ remarks, the event included a color guard and musket salute formed by members of the Ninth Michigan and a recitation of the roders creating Memorial Day by Mark Rector of the Sons of Union Veterans, Camp #1, which meets in the area monthly.

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