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Memorial Day 2008: 'We owe them the honor'

By Lynn Bartels, Rocky Mountain News (Contact), Daniel J. Chacon, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published May 26, 2008 at 11:45 p.m.

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Lt. Col. Robert Thompson, of Aurora, kneels and cries Monday at Fort Logan National Cemetery next to the grave of Master Sgt. Robert West, who served with him in Iraq. Thompson was with West when he was killed in a bombing south of Baghdad in 2006.

Photo by Matt Mcclain / The Rocky

Lt. Col. Robert Thompson, of Aurora, kneels and cries Monday at Fort Logan National Cemetery next to the grave of Master Sgt. Robert West, who served with him in Iraq. Thompson was with West when he was killed in a bombing south of Baghdad in 2006.

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Under gray skies Monday, they prayed, they cried, they sang, they remembered.

What was once a holiday to honor the sacrifices of servicemen and women - Decoration Day, it was called - is now a holiday to honor all the dead, Memorial Day. Here are some scenes from this year's Memorial Day at Fort Logan National Cemetery and Fairmount Cemetery:

Bob Nixson

Bob Nixson, who has worked at Fairmount Cemetery for more than 34 years, remembers Memorial Days past when it was so crowded it was nearly impossible to drive on the roads that wander throughout the 300-acre grounds.

"It seems like there are less visitors every year," he said.

The scenic cemetery, at East Alameda Avenue and South Quebec Street, was established in 1890.

More flowers get placed on graves on Memorial Day than any other time of the year. The runner up? Mother's Day.

Richard Boyd

Sterling resident Richard Boyd goes to Fort Logan National Cemetery on South Sheridan Boulevard every year on Memorial Day to visit the grave of his father, Bert Boyd, who served in three wars and was seriously wounded in two.

"He was dropped into Normandy on D-Day and fought through Europe during World War II. He was 82nd Airborne in Korea and spent the entire time of the war in Korea. And then he was division sergeant major of the First Infantry Division and went to Vietnam with them," he said.

Richard Boyd, 59, followed in his father's footsteps, serving four years in the Marine Corps and fighting in Vietnam.

"I just want to honor the people that I served with and who didn't come back," he said as he surveyed the rows of headstones.

"All these people felt that it was worthwhile to give of themselves to protect our nation, our culture and the things that we believe in as Americans. I think it's only right that we should remember their service and their sacrifice."

Tom Uchida

Tom Uchida was an 18-year- old Seattle resident when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. The government sent him to an internment camp in Idaho, and then he came to Colorado in 1944, where he has lived ever since.

"The prejudice was not a pleasant thing, but a lot of it was ignorance," the Golden resident said. "It was a shame, but it was hysteria, and it wasn't just political, it was monetary."

Ever year, he attends a ceremony at Fairmount Cemetery by the Nisei Veterans Heritage Foundation and Mile-Hi Japanese American Citizens League that honors Colorado's Japanese-American soldiers who gave their lives and served their country.

Dozens of elderly Japanese, their children and their children's children shook hands and hugged each other before and after the hour-long ceremony.

"I come here every year. It's a family thing," said Gary Uba, 48, of Arvada, whose father and other family members are buried at Fairmount.

Uba's mother was born in California, but had returned to Japan for schooling when the war broke out. She survived the firebombing of Tokyo.

Uba's father, who also was born in California, left to go to Iowa where he planned to attend medical school. He took the last train out before the Japanese were rounded up and interned, his son said.

The McClung brothers

The McClung brothers of Littleton brought flowers to the grave- sites of their grandparents, who are buried side-by-side at Fort Logan.

Richard McClung, 20, said his grandfather was a commander in the Navy and served in the Korean and Vietnam wars.

In addition to paying respect to their grandparents, McClung and his brothers, Kevin, 18, and Kyle, 17, said they wanted to honor the men and women who served their country.

"They're the reason we're still free and we can do what we want every day," Kevin said. "That's why we need to let them know that we love them and we care for them and we miss them."

Kevin also said he was thinking about the soldiers serving in Iraq.

"I know a lot of people are mad at (President) Bush right now, but I'm behind him," he said.

"I'm glad we're there and we're keeping our freedom because who's to say what they would do if we hadn't gone in there."

Willa Ward

Willa Ward paused and then wiped away a tear.

"My husband passed in August," she said, indicating the grave marker at her foot.

Harry Ward, born in 1930, died in August 2007. Willa Ward's name and birth date, 1932, is written on the left side of the marker. One day she will join him at Fairmount Cemetery.

"My sister's right there," Ward said, pointing. "My husband wanted to be buried next to her."

It took a second to realize Ward was pointing to another grave, one row back and several graves away. Lovie Dee Boggess, born 1931, died 2001.

"She was full of love, too. She tried to help everybody," Ward recalled.

That section of the cemetery was full and Harry Ward initially wasn't going to get his wish to be buried near his sister-in-law. But then someone failed to make the payments on his or her plot, Ward said, and one became available.

"I think it was meant to be," she said. "Don't you?"

Comments

  • May 27, 2008

    12:12 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    redwhiteandBLUE writes:

    Willa Ward, a beautiful lady inside and out. We had no idea Harry had passed, bless his heart, a good man. Lovie also was a beautiful lady like yourself, be strong, The Lord bless you,Love U!