Scott Co. finishes memorial

The dedication ceremony in Benton, Mo., was one of many held throughout the area for Veterans Day.

By MATT SANDERS

Southeast Missourian

BENTON, Mo. -- Scott City Vietnam veteran Joe Bles has wondered when this Saturday would come.

He lived for years in Scott County, where an unused, weathered war memorial sat in honor of the county's World War I dead on the courthouse lawn. Since the names of 52 World War I dead were added in 1940, the memorial hadn't been updated. But since then more than a hundred more had died: 103 in World War II, 14 in Korea and 21 in Vietnam.

At 11 a.m. Saturday, the updated monument was dedicated, now listing the names of all the county's war dead from World War I on.

"This should have happened years ago," Bles said, observing the completed memorial Saturday. "It shouldn't have gotten so far behind. The ones that gave their all, they deserve recognition."

One of them was a man Bles counted as his friend -- Thomas Jack Pennington, who was killed in Vietnam. And many others at the dedication shared a similar connection with the memorial.

County officials estimate that around 500 people attended the ceremony at the Scott County Courthouse Saturday morning. The dedication was originally set to take place outside, but organizers moved the ceremonies inside due to temperatures in the 40s.

Scott County's dedication ceremony was one of many held Saturday throughout the area. The Cape Girardeau VFW hosted a picnic at noon. A ceremony honoring veterans was held at Freedom Corner in Cape Girardeau. The Missouri Veterans Cemetery in Bloomfield, Mo., held its first Veterans Day ceremony at 11 a.m. The Stars and Stripes Museum Library in Bloomfield honored four Southeast Missouri Medal of Honor recipients, including Cape Girardeau resident Pfc. Richard Wilson, who died in combat in Korea, Saturday afternoon.

A candlelight vigil was planned for Saturday night at Twin Rivers Park in Marble Hill, but the ceremony, without candles, was moved to the gym at Woodland Elementary School. The Patriots Ball, a new fund-raiser for veterans organization VietNow to create war memorials for Cape Girardeau County, was held Saturday night at the Arena Building.

On Thursday and Friday ceremonies were held at local schools, and the annual Jackson Veterans Day parade took place Friday afternoon.

Friday also saw the return of 52 area National Guard soldiers who recently spent more than a year in Iraq.

At the Scott County observance, the county's circuit courtroom was filled to capacity -- a room that county developer Joel Evans said seats about 200. Almost as many people as were inside the courtroom were left to stand outside due to the lack of space.

Part of the 500 people in attendance was the 100-piece honor band that played at the dedication. Made up of students selected by teachers from county high schools, the event marked the band's first appearance. The group played "America the Beautiful," the national anthem and the 140th Infantry March. Two trumpeters provided a poignant tribute when they played taps.

Throughout the hourlong ceremony, county veterans were honored by the county's three commissioners, guest speaker Col. Jack Jackson and musical performances by Andrews Sisters tribute group Replica and Scott County native and country singer Ferlin Husky's band.

Veterans organizations from Sikeston, Chaffee, Morley and Benton were all represented at the ceremonies. They were recognized as being the driving force behind raising funds for and coordinating the memorial update, which cost about $10,000. About $8,000 was paid for by donations, Evans said.

Evans said $4,000 of materials were also donated, along with countless hours of labor. He called the county residents' support of the project "unbelievable."

Sikeston veteran Blair Moran, a key volunteer on the project, said he brought Jackson in as key speaker because of his distinguished service record and his advocacy for veterans.

Jackson reminded those assembled that the men who survived combat still pay an enduring price -- a life changed by the experience.

"It's deer season, and when you're not thinking about it ... that rifle bolt goes home, and it sends a cold chill up and down your spine because you remember, perhaps a memory not so good," Jackson said.

He reserved his highest honor for World War II veterans and asked them to stand for the audience. Four of them did.

One was Gerald Howard of Sikeston, who served in the U.S. Army in Europe. Howard is personally acquainted with the price of war -- he lost many friends when their transport ship sank before the Battle of the Bulge.

"It brings back a lot of memories," the 85-year-old Howard said after the ceremony.

Those memories are why so many people gathered in Benton, Jackson told the dedication audience.

"What it is that's brought you here today?" Jackson said. "Is it the stones and the names engraved on them? I think not. I think maybe, perhaps, it is a memory. For those of us who are veterans, some of those memories aren't very fond, and for some of the spouses and mothers, the memories are not very fond."

Later, Presiding Commissioner Martin Priggel led the courtroom in prayer, speaking for everyone in hoping no more bad war memories will be created for Scott County.

"We pray that no more names will have to be added to this memorial," Priggel said.

A moment of silence followed before two trumpeters played taps.

msanders@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182