Memorial Day ceremony honors fallen at Texas State Veterans Cemetery
At the the annual Memorial Day ceremony at the Texas State Veterans Cemetery at Abilene, citizens gathered to pay respect and honor veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice. (Photo by Floyd Miller)
Col. Ryan Stallsworth, deputy commander of the 7th Bomb Wing at Dyess Air Force Base, called on those gathered Monday, May 25, to treat remembrance as an ongoing duty rather than a single-day observance, delivering remarks to what was described as one of the largest crowds in recent memory attending the annual Memorial Day ceremony at the Texas State Veterans Cemetery at Abilene.
“It’s really humbling to stand here in front of a crowd this large,” Stallsworth said, noting that the turnout gave reason for optimism about future generations’ commitment to honoring the fallen.
Stallsworth acknowledged family members of fallen service members in attendance, telling them their presence was “deeply, deeply meaningful” and that their loved ones were “the reason we gather, the reason we remember.”
Drawing on a well-known military saying, Stallsworth said that a service member dies twice first when they take their final breath and, again, when their name is spoken for the last time. He said Memorial Day exists to prevent that second death.
Gina Smith and her son Jeffery visited the grave of her father, PFC Freddie Smith, U.S Army, who served in Vietnam. (Photo by Floyd Miller)
He described the fallen as sons and daughters, mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers who had futures, plans and dreams, yet chose to serve knowing their duties carried risk. Because of that sacrifice, he said, present generations were raised in a nation defined by freedom and opportunity.
“That kind of sacrifice is difficult to fully comprehend,” Stallsworth said. “It is selfless. It is complete, and it places a responsibility on all of us.”
Stallsworth urged those present to honor the fallen, not only on Memorial Day, but every day, and to ensure their stories are never lost.
“Remembrance is not passive,” he said. “It requires us to be intentional, to pause, to reflect, and to carry forward the legacy of those who came before us.”
Gesturing to the rows of markers surrounding the crowd, Stallsworth said each name represents not merely a life lost but a life given in service and defense of the nation.
“As long as we remember them, as long as their names are spoken, they will never be truly gone,” he concluded.
The ceremony closed with a final roll call conducted by Craig Wooten, an on-site representative and U.S. Navy veteran (Retired), honoring four Missing in Action or Killed in Action service members. Wooten called out the name of each fallen soldier, an American flag was placed at each gravesite, a rifle volley was fired and taps was played.
The four honored were:
- Commander Charles Bernard Goodwin, killed in action Sept. 8, 1965, Gulf of Tonkin, North Vietnam.
- Staff Sgt. Danny Leonard Little, killed in action April 23, 1970, Kontum Province, South Vietnam.
- Staff Sgt. Floyd Dean Caldwell, killed in action Feb. 29, 1972, Vietnam.
- Cpl. Delma Lee Reed, killed in action July 2, 1967, Quang Tri Province, Vietnam.
The crowd stands at attention as the nation anthem is played at the the annual Memorial Day ceremony at the Texas State Veterans Cemetery at Abilene. (Photo By Floyd Miller)
