Crowds mark Memorial Day with remembrances; events usher in 'unofficial start' of summer
As a member of the U.S. Marine Corps, Gary Price of Springfield flew helicopters for the evacuation of Saigon in Vietnam up to Operation Desert Shield in Saudi Arabia.
Price, who retired as a colonel in 2001, said many of his friends were killed in helicopter crashes through the years. It was those people Price turned his attention to Monday.
"It's a day of remembrance," said Price, leaving a Memorial Day service put on by Chatham American Legion Post 759 at Veterans Memorial Park. "It's a sad day. It's not a happy memorial. It's only happy in a sense you're remembering the ones you lost, and you reflect on that."
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Temperatures in the high 80s ushered in the "unofficial start" to summer Monday.
Solemn ceremonies particularly honoring those servicemen and servicewomen killed in battle took place at Camp Butler National Cemetery and Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield Monday. At Calvary Cemetery, Springfield Catholic Bishop Thomas John Paprocki presided over the traditional Field Mass.
Some events returned live for the first time since 2019 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The pool at Nelson Recreation Center in Lincoln Park opened Monday after Veterans Memorial Pool opened on Saturday.
At Robin Roberts Stadium, the Springfield Lucky Horseshoes held their second practice as they readied for Wednesday's season opener in the Prospect League as volunteers gussied up the outside of the ballpark. The Lucky Horseshoes, in their first year of play and under new ownership, open the home part of their schedule Saturday.
'That's what friends do'
Price, who attended the memorial service with his wife, Susie, said he has a list of names of friends who have been killed in action.
Price said he reviews the list about every day.
"I keep in contact with a lot of the families," Price said, "because they were good friends and that's what friends do, make sure everyone's intact."
A job with Ducks Unlimited brought Price to central Illinois but he continued on as a helicopter pilot for Air Evac Lifeteam.
Les "Sarge" Morgan of the Chatham American Legion Post said people ask why he coordinates services like the one Monday.
"I tell them because I appreciate my freedom," Morgan said. "I appreciate the sacrifices they made."
Morgan, who served in the Air National Guard for nearly 25 years and was deployed during Operation Enduring Freedom, said about 20 family members' names are on the war memorial at the center of the park. Unlike other memorials where names are reserved for soldiers killed in action, the Chatham memorial lists names of those who have served in some branch of the military.
"We wanted this to be a living memorial," said Morgan, who played a part in its dedication in 2000. "I wanted grandfathers and uncles and dads to be able to bring their kids and relatives and say, 'Here's my name. Here's where I served. This is what I did.'"
Presidential memorial certificate
At the service, a Presidential memorial certificate was presented to Bruce Deopere, who received the certificate on behalf of his father, Franklin "Frank" Deopere, a Korean War veteran and former Chatham resident who died on January 25.
Chris Butler, the president of Butler Funeral Homes, made the presentation.
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The engraved paper certificate was signed by President Joe Biden. The certificate is to honor the memory of deceased veterans, a program started in 1962 by President John F. Kennedy.
Bruce Deopere, who lives in Petersburg, said it was a shock when got word about the certificate.
Deopere said his father didn't talk a lot about his service in Korea but was proud of serving his country. Deopere noted his father got to visit the Korean War memorial in Washington, D.C. as part of the Land of Lincoln Honor Flight five years ago.
Illinois touch
Retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Iris Miranda-Kirschner, Monday's keynote speaker, noted the beginnings of Memorial Day had an Illinois touch.
Miranda-Kirschner, a historian with the Chatham American Legion post who also served in the U.S. Army, said former Civil War general and southern Illinois resident John A. Logan declared that flowers be strewn on the graves of Civil War veterans as part of Decoration Day.
After World War I, Decoration Day expanded to include and honor those who died in service in all of America's wars, not just the Civil War, Miranda-Kirschner said.
Readying for opening day
About 25 members of the Lucky Horseshoes took part in the team's first practice Sunday and the team was practicing Monday ahead of Wednesday's first game.
Jamie Toole, one of nine owners of the team, said baseball in Springfield will have a unique look this summer.
"Baseball is our platform not our purpose," Toole said Monday. "What I mean by that is that we're here for a much bigger reason than baseball. Just baseball, I don't think works. (We're) trying to put a product out there that is entertainment-based."
Volunteers from the Springfield Downtown-Kiwanis Club spread mulch outside where new signage for the Lucky Horseshoes has also gone up at the Northend stadium.
"We're ready for Wednesday night's opener," said Toole, noting a couple of players from the University of Illinois Springfield were missing because they're part of the NCAA Division II College World Series team. "We'll have them around town volunteering and active. It's fun to start a new chapter."
Pool time
At Nelson Recreation Center in Lincoln Park, Tommy Zepp, was enjoying the pool's opening day with daughter, Sophi, 1, and Sophi's mother, Ashley Allgood.
"This is Sophi's first day swimming," Zepp said. "I grew up on the Northend, so I used to come here."
Jeremy Bell and LeAnn Bell just moved back to Springfield from the Champaign area and were also enjoying the holiday at the pool with their daughter, P.J., 1.
"We look forward to spending time out here," LeAnn Bell said. "We're excited. She's excited. P.J. loves the water."
Nelson Pool is open from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788, sspearie@sj-r.com, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Springfield marks Memorial Day on Monday
