‘Never Forget’

Memorial

Day Speaker Counts The Cost

It was a misty, moisty Monday morning in downtown Lexington as several dozen people gathered on Main Street in front of the Veterans Memorial for the annual Memorial Day ceremony, honoring the sacrifice of the men and women who have given their lives in service of the country.

During his opening remarks, Mark Bryant, president of the George C. Marshall chapter of the Military Officers Association of America, noted the recent celebration of the 250th anniversary of the battles of Lexington and Concord, which marked the beginning of the American Revolution.

“Even before we had declared our independence, Americans fought and died for their country,” he said “These great Americans are remembered on Memorial Day. We cannot thank them for their service the way we do our living veterans on Veterans’ Day. We cannot repay them for their service or what they have given. What we can do is remember them and honor them.”

Lexington Mayor Frank Friedman briefly summarized the history of Memorial Day, from its origins as Decoration Day, created as the result of an order by Grand Army of the Republic Commander-in-Chief John A. Logan in May of 1868 to the formalization of the holiday as the last Monday in May by Congress in 1971.

He also noted the sacrifice of Chase Prasnicki and

, page 2 Andrew Ross, two local soldiers who were killed in Afghanistan in 2012 and 2018, respectively, as well as Terry Plunk, a member of the Virginia Military Institute class of 1988 who was killed in the Gulf War.

“May we never forget and always remember the families and their loved ones who have sacrificed so much for our country,” he said. “Let us be ever mindful and never forget our sordid history and the fabric of those Americans that came before us who fought and sacrificed in search of a more perfect union. And let us this Memorial Day unite as Americans.”

The guest speaker for this year’s ceremony was retired U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Marti J. Bissell, who, over a 34-year career served in all three Army components – active duty, reserve and National Guard – and was stationed in several places around the world, including Korea, Germany, Bosnia and at the Pentagon. She has also held civilian roles at VMI and with the Marshall Foundation.

Bissell began by saying that she prepared for her speech by doing some research about Memorial Day to “determine if what I thought I knew and what is actually true are the same.” She said that she knew Memorial Day was established to honor the men and women who have fallen in service of our nation, that it occurs on a Monday in May and that it is “the day when summer unofficially starts.” “It’s picnics, barbecues and spending the day with family and friends,” she said. “It’s a day for military discounts at stores and restaurants. And it’s a day to visit those that have left us and to add a flag or flowers to their grave and remember their sacrifice.”

Through her research, she learned about the origins of the holiday and noted that even prior to the 1868 order, there were “numerous examples” of fallen soldiers during the Civil War being honored on both sides. One particular example occurred on June 3, 1861, when a grave in Warrenton was decorated to honor the first soldier killed in the Civil War.

Bissell went on to say that she realized that, while the origins of Memorial Day were interesting, she was “focusing on the wrong thing.”

“This shouldn’t be about understanding why Memorial Day is on the last Monday in May or who came up with the idea to formally recognize the fallen,” she said. “It’s why does Memorial Day exist at all. Why pause and reflect? Why is it so important that we remember and honor those men and women who will never again have a seat at the picnic table, not because of an accident or a disease, but because when they had a choice, they chose something greater than themselves, whose presence will forever be missed? And, while we are remembering who they are, perhaps taking the time to reflect on why that is so important.”

And that, she continued, brought up an important question: Exactly how many men and women have fallen in defense of our country over the past 250 years? To answer that question, Bissell turned to the Defense Casualty Analysis System, a website that contains data on casualties during each military operation from the American Revolution on. Using data compiled from this system, Bissell found that 1,203,363 Americans died in service of the country between April 15, 1775, and this Memorial Day: 652,486 soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen were either killed, missing in action or presumed dead; 9,108 died of wounds; and 539,769 died for other reasons. She also noted that another 1,483,846 incurred nonmortal wounds.

“For the 91,348 days our country has been fighting for and preserving its freedom, the equivalent of 13 Americans have died per day wearing the cloth of our country,” she said. “Another 16 were wounded. I would add that we are finding that some of those wounded are dying as a result of their service, whether it is from the long-term effects of Agent Orange, burn pits in Iraq or exposures to various carcinogens in Afghanistan. Therefore almost 30 Americans a day over the last 91,348 days have picked up the tab so others could live freely … That’s something to think about as you go about your day today. That’s something that I ask you to think about as you go about your day each and every day.”

Bissell also noted the sacrifice of Ross, Pasnicki and Plunk, as well as some of those she served with during her career: the Blackhawk crew from Giebelstadt, Germany, who were lost while flying the Beirut Air Mission while she was stationed there, her fellow Virginia Guardsmen Staff Sgt. Darryl Booker and Col. Paul Kelly who were killed in Iraq and 1st Lt. Jonathon Brostrom, the son of her former battalion commander who was killed in the Battle of Wanat in Afghanistan. She also noted the sacrifices of her fatherin- law Mike Bissell and father Art Eaton, “whose lives were impacted by the wounds they received in Vietnam and Agent Orange.”

“Their courage, their sacrifice and, most importantly, their choice to wear the cloth of our country inspires me to live a life that every day defends our country’s values and works to preserve our freedoms,” she said. “On this day and every day, find a moment to honor not only those we have lost, but the freedoms they were willing to die for. Act in a way that honors their sacrifice. Never forget, and more importantly, never take their actions for granted.”