Elgin pays tribute to Pearl Harbor casualties
Red, white and blue penetrated a usually gray cemetery Monday morning in Elgin.
More than 600 large American flags lined the paths of Bluff City Cemetery. An additional 2,800 smaller flags swayed in a gentle breeze upon the graves of military veterans buried there. The abundant patriotism served as the background for a Memorial Day that marked the passing of 44 Elgin-area veterans who died this past year, as well as the recognition of two who died in the Pearl Harbor attack of 1941.
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack, which killed more than 2,400 Americans. Richard "Dick" Jacobs and Bruce D. Bradley, both of Elgin, were among those casualties.
Lt. Adrienne Benton, staff chaplain from the training support center at Great Lakes, said Memorial Day is not about sadness and death.
"Today we are not mourning," she said. "Today we are marking the legacies that have been left for us. Pearl Harbor endures as a symbol of American resilience and resolve. They figured if they decimated the fleet, we would no longer commit to fight. No. No. No. America did not sit down with defeat. America rose with the mindset for victory. We never let what appears to be defeat turn us from a goal that has been set."
Benton said the lessons and examples set following the Pearl Harbor attack are part of the ABCs of life. Those include accepting challenges, believing in yourself and inspiring at least one other person.
A crowd that spilled out into the parkways of neighboring grave sites stood and applauded nine total World War II veterans who participated in the ceremony. Members of six different local veterans organizations participated in a combined color guard that delivered a rifle salute as a prelude to the playing of Taps.
Elgin Mayor David Kaptain reminded all present that the duty to recognize the service of military veterans doesn't end when the sun sets on Memorial Day.
"Men and women are coming back from overseas with horrific injuries," Kaptain said. "It is our responsibility to take care of them and honor them for the rest of their lives."