JACKSONVILLE, Texas (KLTV) – While many East Texans spent Memorial Day with family gatherings and cookouts, veterans in Jacksonville spent the day honoring the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for the country.
Community members gathered at VFW Post 3984 in Jacksonville for a Memorial Day remembrance ceremony. Organizers said the day is meant to honor service members who died.
“A lot of people think that Memorial Day is to pay homage to service members, but in reality, it’s to pay homage to service members that died in the line of duty,” said Thomas Shin, senior vice commander for the post. “And it’s very important for all of us as American citizens to understand the sacrifice that those that came before us gave.”
The ceremony brought together veterans, families and community members from across Jacksonville.
Veteran travels from Wyoming for ceremony
Ralph W. Johnson, a U.S. Navy veteran from Buffalo, Wyoming, attended the ceremony while visiting Texas for family graduations.
Johnson was in the Navy during the Korean War era, but he wasn’t deployed to Korea itself. He served stateside in Florida doing high-altitude photography. He volunteered for a draft program that allowed him to serve for a year and be discharged. He completed basic training in San Diego, California.
Johnson said he was paying homage to family members lost in military service, including a cousin in Germany during World War II, a cousin in the Pacific during World War II and a nephew in Vietnam.
“We show our appreciation at Memorial Day,” Johnson said. “But Veterans Day is for the living.”
VFW supports veterans, community
Shin, a retired Marine Corps veteran who served 23 years and retired from Camp Pendleton in California, relocated to Texas two years ago.
“We just try to support the community, outreach to other organizations like the scouts, the local law enforcement, the fire department,” Shin said. “And we’re just here to display positive impact to the community.”
The post accepts donations and volunteer support.
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