Star-Journbal Editor
A gentle breeze blew ripples of red, white, and blue down the flag rows Monday on Memorial Park Circle in Hillsboro. About 100 citizens gathered for a Memorial Day service led by American Legion Post #366.
In the reverent silences between the patriotic music, speeches, and gun salute, the clacking of military dog tags could be heard.
The name tags were replicas. The flags to which they were affixed were of official military dog tagw, the same flags that had once draped the soldiers' caskets.
After the Color Guard advanced the colors and the Sons of the American Legion ran the flag up the pole and down to half-staff, trumpeter Lewis Hagen played the Call to Colors and the National Anthem.
Soloist Rod Koons sang "America the Beautiful" and Rep. Dan Dahl led the opening prayer.
After a welcome from Legionnaire Harvey Ray, Mayor Delores Dalke dedicated the second half of the Veteran's Memorial Wall, which will provide more room for individual markers to be placed at the memorial site. She also read from a list of donors to the project.
The keynote address was given by Legionnaire Chuck Yunker, state adjutant. During his remarks, he read letters of thanks from an Iraqi citizen, who expressed his gratitude for the U.S. military's role in helping to win their freedom.
Auxiliary chaplain Carolyn Ray opened the sacred tribute with a prayer, asking God to "help us remember of those for whom many memorials have been erected," and, "to be mindful of 'the courage and sacrifice' of those currently in the military.
"Help us to remember the families of those who lost loved ones and the void they have in their lives," Chaplain Ray said, adding, "May we work to keep America safe and give us the courage and strength to do a good deed each day."
The active military representative at the ceremony was Hillsboro native Spc. Josh Plenert, 27, stationed with the 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley.
In full dress uniform, Plenert placed a memorial wreath at the base of the marker honoring nine area soldiers killed in action.
"It was just what I expected, a great honor," he said.
Plenert, who is married with two children, expects to be deployed to Iraq before the end of the year.
"That's why I joined, to serve," he said. "I've been coming to Memorial Day observances for 25 years, with my dad.
"I looked around at all of the veterans and I felt like it was time for me to do my part, to serve my country."
Plenert drives back and forth between Hillsboro and Fort Riley, spending nights and most weekends at home with his wife, Racheal, and his boys, Tyson, 22 months and Wyatt, 3 months.
As an infantryman, his days are filled with all sorts of duties with a common theme — commuting to combat practice, "[shooting] weapons and training for situations that may or may not come up."
Josh's father, Allen, a Navy veteran and longtime Legionnaire, was serving in the ranks of the honor guard Monday. After the ceremony, he stood on the memorial platform, watching his son and family.
"I am proud of him, of course," Allen said. "But I'm scared."
Buoyed by her Christian faith and constant prayer, Racheal is keeping a positive attitude about the future.
"I'm glad that there are people out there that can do it and I'm glad he's one of them," she said.
If her husband is deployed, Chaplain Ray said the American Legion Auxiliary would support Racheal and the boys.
Legionnaires like Wayne Friesen, who served two tours of duty in Vietnam, understand the pressures that war can bring on a family.
"It's always worse for the family, because they worry all the time," Friesen said. He added that if the younger Plenert should be sent to Iraq, the soldier's father will have "an entire Legion" of support.
