‘Wake up’: Attendees urged to emphasize education, honor at SunRiver Memorial Day service

Written by E. George Goold
May 30, 2022

ST. GEORGE — The 2022 Memorial Day service at SunRiver Veterans Honor Park was perfectly timed.

Daughters of the American Revolution sell baked goods at the 2022 Memorial Day Service at SunRiver Veterans Honor Park, St. George, Utah, May 30, 2022 | Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News

Dealing with the aftershocks of another horrific school shooting and under the looming shadow of a war in Europe, veterans and their families felt that the ceremony honoring America’s fallen servicemen and women couldn’t have been more appropriate.

“It’s especially important right now,” master of ceremonies and former Marine Tom Colven told St. George News at the end of Monday morning’s service.

“We had a good turnout — we had hoped for me,” Colven added. “We did what we could. It’s so important to teach what this day is really about and who it is for. People need to wake up.”

The crowd gathered at SunRiver was not as large as last year’s, with local residents and out-of-state visitors filling up about three-quarters of the park area.

The Color Country Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution sold baked goods.

Other participants included American Legion Post 142, Knights of Columbus 4th Degree Honor Guard, Marine Corps League Detachment 1270 and Patriot Guard Riders of Southern Utah.

Retired Rear Admiral William Newman speaks at the 2022 Memorial Day Service at SunRiver Veterans Honor Park, St. George, Utah, May 30, 2022 | Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News

Retired Rear Admiral William E. Newman, U.S. Navy, was the featured guest speaker.

“I recently read that 80 percent of Americans don’t understand the real meaning of Memorial Day,” Newman said. “We need to teach more American history to those who follow us.”

He went on to say that gatherings of family and friends are traditional and commendable, but Memorial Day is not primarily about barbecues and picnics.

Veterans have their day, he said, on what was formerly known as Armistice Day on Nov. 11. It honors those veterans who served and took their uniforms off when they left service.

“Today honors the approximately 1.4 million military men and women who never got to take off their uniform,” Newman said of Memorial Day.

Originally known as Decoration Day, the holiday first was established in 1868, he said, to honor the dead on both sides of the Civil War. More than 700,000 Americans died in that conflict, which is more than the combined losses of every war this nation has ever fought.

“In the modern era, this day is to honor those who died serving our nation during war,” Newman said.

The ceremony ended with the setting of the wreath and the lowering of the flags.

“As we honor their memory today, let us pledge that their lives, their sacrifices, their valor, shall be justified and remembered for as long as God gives life to this great nation,” Newman said.

Flags refreshed at Shivwits Cemetery

Color Country Chapter members met with tribal leader Glenn Rogers at Shivwits Cemetery to remove and replace American flags on veterans’ graves in advance of Memorial Day.

Color Country Chapter members have provided this annual tradition and service since 2012.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Eric George Goold came to St. George News from southwestern Colorado, where he was a radio news reporter. He has been a journalist for over 20 years in five different states. He graduated with a master's degree in English from Kansas State University and writes nonfiction as well. Goold has been published in Sunstone Magazine and has done multiple public readings about local history. When he has free time, he enjoys chess, movies and dogs.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @STGnews

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