Those who died during military service were honored during a Memorial Day service at Oakwood Cemetery Monday.
Guest speaker Larry Burkhart, retired U.S. Air Force member, American Legion second district manager and member of American Legion Post 49, thanked those that went to the service Monday to remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice in the service of the country.
Throughout United States history, the country has relied on the brave men and women to pick up arms to defend “our people and the freedoms they hold dear. Millions have answered the call. Some gave some and some gave all. From Concord Bridge to the beaches of France to the jungles of Vietnam and the mountains of Afghanistan, when liberty needed a savior, the American patriot was there,” he said.

    American Legion Post 49 Honor Guard fire their rifles for a three-volley salute at Oakwood Cemetery. Pictured (L to R) are James Whithead, Jim Patterson, Kevin White, Joe Banks, Natalie White, Fred Vining and Lenora Stump. Photo by Jackie Gorski, Times-Union
  

Nowadays, Memorial Day has become a day off, a day for barbecues. But for the millions that have served or lost a loved one, it is much more than that, he said.
“A lot of people don’t understand what it takes to write your name on a piece of paper, and say ‘I will do whatever it takes for my country to survive.’ A lot of people don’t understand what it means to go out and carry a brother or sister off the battlefield that’s been wounded. They don’t understand what it takes to go out and pick up your wounded and before they even get to a medical station, their life is gone,” he said. “One of the hardest things I ever had to do in my life was pick up a solider, put him in the back of a C-130, drape a flag over him and bring him back home. You don’t know what it takes to do that.”
Burkhart said he was raised on the idea “big boys don’t cry” or show emotions. There are a lot of people walking around with scars that others will never be able to see because they’re internal scars.
“And they took those scars upon themselves, that we may live in a country and be free. And know that if we’re ever attacked, they would step up and go back into the service,” he said. The hardest thing I had to do during the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks was not going back in the service. He put in his 20 years and the military thought he was too old to come back.
During that time, Burkhart thought all those who died while in service.
“This is who that we have come today to respect to and honor. For me and my family, Memorial Day is a day of gratitude that is shared with the family and close friends, to take time to express our appreciation and give thanks to the men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our liberties and freedoms that were never interrupted. We also extend gratitude to those family members who were forced to endure the pain, the heartache, the sacrifice of losing a loved one during military service. And finally, it’s time to remember the servicemembers who lived that have been radically altered as a result of physical-, emotional- and combat-related wounds for our tomorrows that they gave their todays,” he said.
The American Legion Post 49’s Honor Guard performed a gun salute and taps were played across Oakwood Cemetery.