Memorial Day ceremony held by Town of Chapin and American Legion Post 193
CHAPIN, SC (WOLO) — Memorial Day is a time to pause and remember all of America’s military members who’ve died while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces.
Monday morning, the American Legion Post 193 and the Town of Chapin hosted a special ceremony to honor our fallen heroes.
The event began with the raising of the American flag over the flags of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Space Force.
Local service members, Veterans, and community members came out to help pay tribute to the many who’ve given their lives for our freedom.
Among the guest speakers were Chapin’s Mayor Albert Koon and Commander of the Navy’s Military Sealift Command — Rear Admiral Phillip Sobeck.
“What a special day it is to pause and remember those who have fallen. Who’ve given the ultimate sacrifice. It really is time to remember and make sure we never forget,” says Sobeck.
He and other service members, including a local World War II Veteran, presented a wreath beneath the American flag as well.
And while Memorial Day is a day to remember those who gave their lives, it’s also a day to be thankful for those still serving, says Sobeck.
“I tell ya what, serving in the Navy for me. I enlisted back when I was 17-years-old, and I could not be more excited to repay that to our next generation. Serving in some capacity is what’s important. It really is, no matter how you want to serve or where you want to serve. But I tell you what the military is second to none,” he says.
Navy Veteran Richard Mullinax is the Chaplain for Post 193.
“Freedom’s not free. That’s said over and over and over. I firmly believe that all liberty is purchased with blood. We don’t get liberty unless somebody dies. And when we let somebody usurp and take away our liberties they’re taking away our freedoms and the only way to get them back is somebody is gonna have to die. And god required some of these guys to give their life on the battlefield. And those of us that he sent back home, he sent us to teach the horrors of war,” Mullinax says.
Those horrors, that according to US News and World Report, take an average of 1,400 military members’ lives each year.
