In the name of the fallen: Wayne County honors heroes
By Steve Herring
Published in News on May 28, 2018 10:33 PM
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Col. Craig McPike, commander of the 916th Air Refueling Wing at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, and Gold Star Mother Christina Kazakavage, whose son lost his life serving in 2010, present the wreath during Monday's Memorial Day Ceremony.
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
The Seymour Johnson Air Force Base honor guard present the colors at the the beginning of the Veterans and Patriots Coalition Memorial Day Ceremony in Moffatt Auditorium Monday.
Soft sniffling could be heard in a darkened Moffatt Auditorium Monday morning as the sorrowful "In the Arms of an Angel" accompanied a video of America's fallen heroes.
"That was difficult to watch," said Col. Craig McPike, commander 916th Air Refueling Wing at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base. "I have speech here that I will get to in a minute."
McPike had to pause before continuing his comments during the Wayne County Memorial Day ceremony, sponsored by the Wayne County Veterans and Patriots Coalition.
McPike said he knows people have seen social media and texts wishing someone a happy Memorial Day.
"I can't," he said. "President Reagan said that what is really tough is that these men who die. They give up two lives -- the one that they have and the one that they could have had."
McPike said it was a privilege to speak as people pay homage to fallen service members while acknowledging the immense debt owed them.
Memorial Day is a time to reflect and remember and to honor the airmen, soldiers, sailors and Marines who have made the ultimate sacrifice in support of our great nation, he said.
"It is a privilege to fulfill our nation's sacred commitment by ensuring the dignity, honor and respect to the fallen," he said. "We must never forget those who continue to be prisoners of war, or missing in action."
More than 82,000 Americans are still missing in action dating back to World War II, McPike said.
"Their sacrifices are a reminder of what we stand for," he said. "On Memorial Day, the tradition is that the American flag is raised to the top of the staff and then lowered to half-staff where it remains until noon.
"At noon, it is then raised to full-staff for the remainder of the day."
For almost 250 years, men and women in uniform have fought and died to preserve the American way of life, its interests and ideals he said.
The freedom, liberty and strength of the nation exists because of their courage, constant professionalism and commitment, he said.
More than 1.3 million American military personnel -- roughly the population of the Raleigh-Durham area -- have made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of the nation, McPike said.
"It is those sacrifices which allow us to gather here today with our friends and families, living free in this great nation, supporting these families on this solemn occasion," he said.
The Air Force Mortuary Affairs Office at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware is charged with honoring, and has the privilege of fulfilling the nation's sacred commitment to the fallen, McPike said.
The office ensures that the fallen receive dignity, honor, respect and the utmost care, as well as offering support to their families, he said.
"It is our responsibility to make sure that those who do not return are not forgotten," McPike said. "More than 80,000 Americans are still missing in action from conflicts during the past century."
The Department of Defense has made a commitment that no matter how long it takes, that it will continue to work to bring home every American prisoner of war and those missing in action, he said.
In fact, hundreds of men and women, both military and civilian, are working worldwide to accomplish that mission, McPike said.
"For those who've been found, I am hopeful it brought closure to their families," he said "For those still remaining, the search continues. You are not forgotten.
"As we remember those who gave their lives, let's also recognize the thousands of North Carolina service members currently deployed around the world, as well as their families."
He encouraged audience members to keep the home fires burning and to pray for their safe return.
McPike and Christina Kazakavage, a Gold Star Mother, placed the wreath. Her son, Air Force Tech Sgt. Adam K. Ginett, was killed in action on Jan. 19, 2010, near Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan.
The colors were presented by a Seymour Johnson AFB color guard.
Jim Brewer, coalition president, reminded the audience that Memorial Day was originally referred to as Decoration Day.
This is the observance's 150 anniversary, he said.
The first speech at Arlington National Cemetery was in 1868 and made by future president James Garfield, he said.
"I am oppressed with a sense of the impropriety of uttering words on this occasion," Brewer said reciting Garfield's speech. "If silence is ever golden, it must be here beside the graves of fifteen thousand men, whose lives were more significant than speech, and whose death was a poem, the music of which can never be sung.
"With words we make promises, plight faith, praise virtue. Promises may not be kept; plighted faith may be broken; and vaunted virtue be only the cunning mask of vice."
He continued, "We do not know one promise these men made, one pledge they gave, one word they spoke; but we do know they summed up and perfected, by one supreme act, the highest virtues of men and citizens. For love of country they accepted death, and thus resolved all doubts, and made immortal their patriotism and their virtue.
"For the noblest man that lives, there still remains a conflict. He must still withstand the assaults of time and fortune, must still be assailed with temptations, before which lofty natures have fallen; but with these the conflict ended, the victory was won, when death stamped on them the great seal of heroic character, and closed a record which years can never blot."
Brewer encouraged the audience to be thankful every day for the willingness of service men and women everywhere to serve.
"But today let us be sure to remember foremost those who, for the love of country, accepted death and thus resolved all doubts and made immortal their patriotism and their virtue."
The Monday afternoon ceremony that was to have been held at the Wayne County Veterans Memorial downtown was canceled because of the weather.