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Tuesday, 06 June 2006 13:42 |
| Dr. Carl Mumpower salutes the veterans of each U.S. war since World War I.
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By JIM GENARO
In a time of war, America??s fighting men and women endure many horrors because they believe in giving themselves to a greater cause, Asheville City Councilman Carl Mumpower told an assembly outside City Hall on May 22.
The Memorial Day ceremony paid tribute to soldiers who had lost their lives in combat, particularly those from Western North Carolina. About 40 people attended the noon gathering.
Mumpower honored the victims of each war in the 20th century individually, beginning with World War I.
?®Over 53,000
died and still they pressed on ...?∆ During the second World War, ?®they
endured the terror of kamikaze ?? some of the original suicide bombers ??
and they died over the skies of Germany. Over 200,000 died in World War
II and still they pressed on.?∆
He mentioned the ?®numbing cold,?∆ which soldiers faced in Korea, and the insufferable heat endured by American GIs in Vietnam.
And in Iraq, Mumpower noted, ?®over 2,600 have died, including four of our own from Western North Carolina.?∆
Listed as the four local servicemen killed in Iraq and Afghanistan were
Asheville natives Spc. Kenneth D. Hess, Chief Warrant Officer Mitch
Carver, Staff Sgt. Joseph Ray and Sgt. William Scott Kinzer Jr. of
Weaverville.
?®A year ago at this time, four men were alive,?∆ Mumpower said. ?®They
have earned this day and I speak for them, gratefully saying ?¥thank
you?? to those who chose to be here.?∆
He urged those assembled to let the memory of these fallen soldiers live on.
?®We??re here to honor those in our history who have stepped forward and shouldn??t be forgotten.?∆
In addition to
the speech by Mumpower, the memorial service featured the ?®presentation
of colors?∆ by the Buncome County Firefighters Honor Guard, an opening
prayer by the Rev. Spencer Hardaway and the singing of the National
Anthem by Ric Ledford.
After Mumpower spoke, Asheville police officer Leona Hamilton read a
poem by an unknown author, titled ?®Among the Rest Who Gave Their Best.?∆
?®As years go by and memories fade, my stone shall stand erect/ among
the rest, who gave their best ?? our freedom to protect,?∆ Hamilton
recited.
The ceremony closed with the playing of ?®Taps,?∆ as the flag-bearers
exited and the crowd took a moment to contemplate the contributions of
America??s soldiers.
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