Remembering the fallen

The two comrades walk down the center aisle together, finding chairs in the front row next to each other.

To their right, column after column of gravestones form Jackson City Cemetery. To their left, an American flag flutters at half-staff. Surrounding them are veterans who served the United States as far back as World War II.

But this pair of former Navy recruits are different from the other retired military personnel gathered for American Legion Post 158's Memorial Day ceremony.

These two are also father and daughter.

Penny M. Kurre and his daughter, R. Penny Kurre, both of Jackson, proudly rise together when the Jackson Municipal Band strikes up "Anchors Aweigh" in honor of the Navy. Today is a special day for their family, a day that brings smiles and tears alike.

As a child, R. Penny Kurre -- who goes by Penny -- watched her dad leave home as part of the Naval Reserve. Later, she watched her two older brothers leave for the military as well. She wasn't about to be left behind.

She served in the same unit as her father and became a junior high teacher after her stint in the military. The Navy, Kurre says, is an experience she wouldn't give up for anything.

But by the time the Memorial Day speaker has concluded his remarks and a lone trumpet player strikes the last note in taps, R. Penny Kurre has tears in her eyes.

"It's an emotional day," she explains. "Mostly it's about remembering fallen comrades. I wonder about people I served with. Once you're in the military, you're all a family."

The sentiment was the same for many of the veterans, their family members and other area residents who gathered Monday for Memorial Day services in Jackson and Cape Girardeau.

In Jackson, guest speaker Richard Decker, a retired U.S. Marine Corps major, spoke of past and present wars.

"Can you put a price on freedom? We have an idea of the cost that has been paid," said Decker, who served two tours in Vietnam. "True patriotism requires more than posting a flag in your yard."

Cape Girardeau's ceremony, held at the Osage Community Centre by the Cape Girardeau Joint Veterans Council, included a performance by the Cape Girardeau Municipal Band and a tribute to soldiers who died in service.

World War II veteran Donald Kraft of Cape Girardeau, who attended that ceremony, said Memorial Day is a time of remembrance for him.

"It's recollection of a lot of past experiences in the military," said Kraft, who served in the Army Air Force. "Experiences that are a little longer ago than I'd like."

Maj. Joe Leahy with the National Guard's 1140th Engineer Battalion served as guest speaker at the Cape Girardeau ceremony.

"No words can adequately describe the sacrifices of the men and women we honor today," Leahy said. "For today's soldier, our mission is to preserve freedom. Support for our soldiers and the memory of them is one of the most powerful weapons we have."

cclark@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 128