Today is the day our country has set aside to reflect on the sacrifices made by the men and women serving in our armed forces. There are many tales of sacrifice and bravery by servicemen and women in all branches of the military who have come from Garland County, but today we reflect on two military personnel whose sacrifices have been recently singled out for special honors.
Today at 1 p.m., Hot Springs National Park will unveil a monument in honor of the first National Park Service Ranger to be killed in the line of duty during a special ceremony at 1 p.m. at the corner of Central Avenue and Reserve Street.
Park Ranger James Alexander Cary, a World War I veteran who joined the National Park Service in 1923, was murdered by bootleggers on March 12, 1927, while patrolling on West Mountain.
The honor carries special significance today, as Cary, a Missouri native, served in the U.S. Navy during World War I on board the USS Orient.
In announcing the honor, Park Superintendent Josie Fernandez noted that Cary, like many rangers today, served our nation in many capacities, first in the U.S. Navy during World War I and later in law enforcement in the National Park Service. She said that, in keeping with his life of service and sacrifice, the Park Service felt that Memorial Day would be a fitting time to pay tribute to his legacy, and we agree.
Today we also reflect upon the service and sacrifice of a familiar name in Garland County, Adam Brown. Brown, a member of U.S. Navy SEAL Team Six and a graduate of Lake Hamilton High School, was killed in action March 17, 2010, in Afghanistan when some of his fellow troops were pinned down by heavy fire from an enemy compound. Brown maneuvered to draw enemy fire away from his team members and toward himself. He died as a result of his actions.
An effort is underway to honor Brown's heroism. A week ago today, the U.S. House passed H.R. 3931, a bill to designate the United States Post Office located at 620 Central Ave., Suite 1A in Hot Springs National Park as the Chief Petty Officer Adam Brown United States Post Office.
"Chief Petty Officer Brown's story is a great American success story. His battle to overcome addictions to not only become one of the nation's most elite warriors but also to be a husband, father, and a man who lived out his faith is a story worth celebrating and remembering," U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-District 4, one of the sponsors of the bill, said last week.
"Adam exemplified the SEAL code of loyalty to country, team, and teammate, giving his life to save the members of his unit. Though he was killed in the line of duty, his selfless actions ensured victory for his brothers in arms. Adam's love for America was evident by his selfless actions. On this week before Memorial Day, it is my hope that this piece of legislation will not only serve to honor Adam, but that it will also honor all of the men and women from the 4th Congressional District of Arkansas who have given their lives in defense of the United States."
Today we recall those sacrifices and the price paid by others from our community in the name of freedom because of a letter written in 1868 by a former Union soldier from Ohio, name unknown, to Adjutant-Gen. N.P. Chipman of the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of Union veterans. The letter suggested an annual practice of honoring the dead of the Civil War with ceremonies and decorating of graves, according to the website of the U.S. Army Center of Military History. Gen. John A. Logan, the commander-in-chief of GAR, on May 5, 1868, directed local posts of the GAR to establish May 30 for this purpose. General Orders, No. 11, proclaimed "The 30th day of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country. ... "
In 1882, the Grand Army of the Republic urged that the name of the holiday be "Memorial Day." Many persisted in calling it "Decoration Day," because of the way it began, with the decoration of the graves of fallen soldiers. In January 1971, with the passage of the "Monday Holiday Law," Memorial Day was changed from to the last Monday in May, the website said.
To borrow from Congressman Westerman's speech, these are stories worth celebrating and remembering, amid the flowers strewed among the gravestones of brave men and women.
Editorial on 05/30/2016