May 25, 2009 — In prayer and poetry, members of St. John's Viggo E. Sewer American Legion Post 131 and Auxiliary paid homage Monday to veterans in Memorial Day ceremonies at all of the island's cemeteries.
"Memorial Day, a time to pay tribute for the ultimate sacrifice," said Vice Commander Paul Devine, reading from the poem "Remembering Their All" by Colleen Reddaway Cook. "Celebrate with your picnics, beach outings and reunions, but teach your children about the sacrifices made, pride in the United States and the courage of the past."
American Legion Auxiliary member Theodora Moorehead read the poem "Memorial Day" by Michelle Keim.
"Take home with you a sense of pride," Moorehead read as "Taps" played. "You were here Memorial Day. Celebrating the way Americans should on this solemnest of days."
In his prayer for the fallen, the Rev. Ray Joseph expressed gratitude for those who died in the nation's wars.
"We're remembering it didn't come easy and didn't come without sacrifice," said Joseph, an American Legion member, before the ceremony began.
As the ceremony ended, American Legion member Les Anderson placed a bouquet of magenta bougainvillea on a grave at Bethany Moravian Church Cemetery.
Another American Legion member, Wil Henderson, said he was at the ceremony to show respect for those who served.
"And respect is real short in our society today," he said.
Commander Jerry Runyon said the members would repeat the ceremony and the placing of the flowers at the island's other cemeteries. In addition to the Bethany cemetery, the members also stopped at Cruz Bay Cemetery, Calabash Boom Cemetery and Emmaus Cemetery. They wrapped up the observance by laying a wreath at the Coral Bay dock.
The entourage was only about a dozen strong, a situation Runyon attributed to the fact that the American Legion posts across the territory come under the organization's Puerto Rico umbrella instead of local authority. He said the reason the St. John post was reactivated in 2001 was to beef up the territory's numbers in the hopes that it could become an independent American Legion unit. Territory-wide, Runyon said, 11 of the 67 members registered in January have not renewed their memberships.
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