Remembering the fallen

Around the United States, many organizations are honoring the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice, including in Nixon.

The American Legion Post 547 hosted its Memorial Day ceremony at the Aphne Pattillo Nixon Public Library on Monday, May 27.

“On behalf of American Legion as an organization as well as the post here in Nixon, it's important for us to welcome those of you that are here supporting us, to remember those people that served and died for the freedoms that we have today,” Post Commander and retired Army veteran Navidad Ruiz said.

Memorial Day is a federal holiday that is held on the last Monday of May in honor of the service men and women who died in the line of duty.

“There's also other people, service members, that did not perish, but they spent time and they sacrificed as well and we give thanks to them as well. This is an opportunity for the American Legion to do something to let the community know that you have veterans in the community and that veterans do matter. And we are here to make things better, try to affect community, and if we can do that, we're going to continue to do so,” Ruiz said.

Retired United States Air Force Lt. Col. Starr Smith, a member of the Nixon Fire Department, was the guest speaker for the for the ceremony.

Smith listed out names of the veterans that have served in the county, including Marine Cpl. John Longoria, who died serving his country in Iraq in 2005.

Longoria’s family is a Gold Star family; a Gold Star family is one that experienced a loss of a loved one or immediate family member who died as of result of active-duty service.

Smith paraphrased a quote from Gen. George S. Patton about Memorial Day; “Don’t mourn those that have died, that is easy to say and tough to do, but more so, give thanks for those that have served, so we can be free.”

Near the end of the ceremony, three wreaths were placed at the site: one for Longoria and his Gold Star family and two at the Nixon Veterans Memorial at the library.