TEXARKANA, Texas - Because it may be easy for many people to think of Memorial Day as just another three-day weekend, Arkansas State Representative Carol Dalby thanked her audience for being where they where Monday.
"Thank you for being here," Dalby said to local residents gathered at the third and final Memorial Day ceremony at Hillcrest Cemetery. "We aren't here by accident, we are here because strong hands lifted us here and because others held out their hand to build a better nation. These brave citizens with the hands to build a better nation, were also the ones who fought in the trenches, as well as sailed on the rough seas and flew in the skies to make sure we stayed free."
Dalby went on to say that even while America's foreign detractors keep predicting the county's downfall, the bravery of America's servicemen and women will always have staying power.
"It may be tempting to want to believe the nay sayers, who tell us that our country is in free fall, but the pathway for freedom has been laid and there will always be footsteps to follow,"she said. "May God bless us and our great nation."
Prior to the Hillcrest gathering, residents also gathered earlier in the day, at the Korea-Vietnam Memorial, near downtown Texarkana. There, the Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 278. held a 45-minute service.
"I want to thank you all for attending, but even more than that, I want to thank you all for caring, and we want you all to leave with something in your heart," Chapter President Greg Beck said.
Besides remembering the veterans who gave their lives, Beck also told the attendees that there are collectively, still as many as 85,096 servicemen and women, who are still listed as Missing in Action, primarily from World War I, World War II, Korea and Vietnam.
Beck told the audience that a continued search for a full accounting of all MIAs will hopefully be continued by future generations.
"As Vietnam veterans, we made the pledge that never will one generation abandon another," he said.