Veterans from American Legion Post 90 observe Memorial Day at the St. George City Cemetery, St. George, Utah, May 28, 2018 | Photo by Spencer Ricks, St. George News
ST. GEORGE — Standing near the final resting place of 1,058 military veterans, community members and veterans remembered the U.S. men and women who gave their lives for their country as part of the Memorial Day ceremony in St. George Monday.
Organized by the American Legion Post 90 in St. George, the ceremony was held at the St. George City Cemetery and included several musical numbers and speeches. Around 100 people converged on the cemetery to honor veterans at the event.
“A national will”
Retired Lt. Col. Dennis Berg, a former pilot for the U.S. Air Force, was the keynote speaker. Berg thanked veterans for their service and spoke about the importance of war and the military in his speech.
“It is the heavy price of war that is why we are here today,” Berg said. “For those of us who have been asked by our government to participate in the chaos and carnage of war fully understand that we may pay the ultimate price for our country.”
Without mentioning many names, Berg also turned political in his speech by mentioning politicians’ approaches to the military.
“Our military has to be second to none,” Berg said. “I can honestly say that is not the case at this moment in time. We had eight years of neglect of our hardware and our military personnel.”
“The divisiveness I see in our approach to our current commander-in-chief reminds me all too vividly of the days of the Vietnam War,” Berg said. “It is my assessment that we are on the beginning stages of a new resurgence of our national will.”
A “national will” to fight is what’s required for a country to be successful in a war, Berg said. The next war will most likely be to help those currently under the thumb of dictator Kim Jong Un in North Korea, Berg said.
Honoring the fallen
The St. George Memorial Day ceremony honored the veterans who died, including Daniel Lester Keate, a St. George man who died in 1918 during World War I.
“We are here today to express our gratitude,” said Ski Ingram, chairman of the American Legion Post 90. “We need to remember each and every day the gift they gave to us.”
A wreath was placed at the grave of Keate at the ceremony by some of his descendants and members of the American Legion Post 90 performed a rifle salute for him. Keate died in battle in Champagne, France, on Oct. 4, 1918, which was 53 days before his 23rd birthday and 27 days before the end of “the war to end all wars,” Ingram said.
In addition to remembering the ones who died in combat, the purpose of Memorial Day is to also honor the men and women who risked their lives, including the 1,058 veterans buried in the St. George City Cemetery and the 678 buried in the Tonaquint Cemetery, Berg said.
The Color County Chorus and Tammy Houchen each performed two musical numbers at the ceremony, including a medley of all the anthems of the various branches of the U.S. military.
“We should pray to the supreme commander that all of our comrades will soon be back within our ranks,” said Terry Dunne, a veteran who led the placing of the prisoner-of-war and missing-in-action flag at the ceremony. “Let us remember and never forget their sacrifice.”
Click on photo to enlarge it, then use your left-right arrow keys to cycle through the gallery.
Descendants of Daniel Lester Keate, a St. George man who died in 1918 during Wold War I, place a wreath at his grave in the St. George City Cemetery as part of the Memorial Day celebration at the St. George City Cemetery in St. George, Utah, Monday, May 28, 2018 | Photo by Spencer Ricks, St. George News
Veterans solute the colors at the Memorial Day celebration at the St. George City Cemetery in St. George, Utah, Monday, May 28, 2018 | Photo by Spencer Ricks, St. George News
Ski Ingram, chairman of American Legion Post 90, speaks at the Memorial Day celebration at the St. George City Cemetery in St. George, Utah, Monday, May 28, 2018 | Photo by Spencer Ricks, St. George News
A veteran solute the colors at the Memorial Day celebration at the St. George City Cemetery in St. George, Utah, Monday, May 28, 2018 | Photo by Spencer Ricks, St. George News
A veteran displays an empty table that represents the empty place for prisoners of war and military members who are missing in action. The demonstration was part of the Memorial Day celebration at the St. George City Cemetery in St. George, Utah, Monday, May 28, 2018 | Photo by Spencer Ricks, St. George News
People honor veterans at the Memorial Day celebration at the St. George City Cemetery in St. George, Utah, Monday, May 28, 2018 | Photo by Spencer Ricks, St. George News
Members of the Color Country Chorus sing at the Memorial Day celebration at the St. George City Cemetery in St. George, Utah, Monday, May 28, 2018 | Photo by Spencer Ricks, St. George News
Members of the Color Country Chorus sing at the Memorial Day celebration at the St. George City Cemetery in St. George, Utah, Monday, May 28, 2018 | Photo by Spencer Ricks, St. George News
Tammy Houchen sings at the Memorial Day celebration at the St. George City Cemetery in St. George, Utah, Monday, May 28, 2018 | Photo by Spencer Ricks, St. George News
Graves are decorated at the St. George City Cemetery on Memorial Day during the ceremony at the St. George City Cemetery in St. George, Utah, Monday, May 28, 2018 | Photo by Spencer Ricks, St. George News
Retired Lt. Col. Dennis Berg, a former pilot with the U.S. Air Force, speaks at the Memorial Day celebration at the St. George City Cemetery in St. George, Utah, Monday, May 28, 2018 | Photo by Spencer Ricks, St. George News
Members of the American Legion Post 90 perform a rifle salute for Daniel Lester Keate, a St. George man who died in 1918 during Wold War I. The salute was part of the Memorial Day celebration at the St. George City Cemetery in St. George, Utah, Monday, May 28, 2018 | Photo by Spencer Ricks, St. George News
Veterans solute the colors at the Memorial Day celebration at the St. George City Cemetery in St. George, Utah, Monday, May 28, 2018 | Photo by Spencer Ricks, St. George News
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2018, all rights reserved.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Spencer Ricks is a Seattle native who graduated from Dixie State University in 2017. He is the former Editor-in-Chief of the Dixie Sun News – DSU's student newspaper. He has also written for KSL.com and Seattle Met Magazine, covering everything from local politics to flash floods.