May 25, 2008 — It's been almost 100 years since the territory became part of the United States, and during that time local men and women have served "bravely with passion and compassion to make sure that we are free," Gov. John deJongh Jr. said Monday during Memorial Day ceremonies on St. Thomas.
The ceremonies began with a wreath laying in St. Thomas' Western Cemetery and continued with a parade that wound past the Department of Labor, up Main Street and to the U.S. Coast Guard Dock, where petals were laid and a firing squad performed a salute in honor of service members lost at sea. Marching up the parade route were members of the American Legion's Patrick U. George Post No. 90, the V.I. National Guard and the Charlotte Amalie and Ivanna Eudora Kean high schools JROTC units, followed by the Pathfinders from St. Thomas Seventh Day Adventist School.
Parade participants and a large group of local residents then gathered at the Franklin D. Roosevelt V.I. Veterans' Memorial Park, where wreaths were lain at the foot of pillars bearing the names of local soldiers killed in combat as far back as World War II. Each pillar represents a branch of the armed forces.
Each name on the pillars represents an individual "who paid the ultimate sacrifice" to protect the freedoms Virgin Islanders enjoy today, said retired Major General Cleave A. McBean, the ceremony's keynote speaker. He was appointed in 2000 by former Gov. Charles W. Turnbull to lead the V.I. National Guard and was then promoted to the position of brigadier general and major general of the territory.
"In a few minutes this service will be over, but to the names upon these pillars, I just want to say thank you," McBean said. "Thank you for what you've given. No one could ask for more. May you rest with God in heaven forever more."
The community should make an effort to remember fallen veterans for their services, offer aid to the wounded that come home from battle and take care of families that have lost their loved ones, and not just conduct a ritual once a year, McBean said.
"Long after the bombs have stopped exploding, the children of our fallen soldiers are still missing parents, their spouses are still missing their life partner and their parents will never stop grieving for their lost son or daughter," he said. "We need to be there for them, to offer a shoulder to cry on, to make sure they receive assistance with benefits that are owed to them and assurance that their loved one's sacrifice will always be remembered. Remembering our fallen once a year is not enough — we must remember every day."
As wounded soldiers continue to come home from the Middle East, Congress is working to make sure "no veteran is left behind," Delegate Donna M. Christensen said during the ceremony. In addition to drafting a new G.I. Bill, Congress is waiting for the president to sign into law the Heroes Earning Assistance and Tax Relief Act, which makes available recovery rebates and tax relief to veterans, along with homeownership and business opportunities.
"I have also called for a study to show the difference in services offered to veterans here, as opposed to those offered in the States," Christensen said. "It will focus on things like land and housing, access to care [and] business opportunities, and will show how our high cost for living must disadvantage veterans because of their income limits."
DeJongh also called for the community to rally behind local veterans with support and access to services. After graduation ceremonies next month, many students will turn to the armed forces and continue the tradition of protecting the Virgin Islands, he said.
"Let us involve our veterans and their families more in our daily lives," deJongh said. "They are the shoulders that we stand on to make sure that we're free."
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