A parade and patriotic music mark a day of pride as Largo commemorates Memorial Day.
By ANGIE GREEN
Published May 27, 2003
[Times photo: Douglas R. Clifford]
U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Brian Lisko, speaker at the Memorial Day service Monday at Curlew Hills Memory Gardens, remembers the helicopter crash off Anclote Key in 1969 that killed three servicemen when he was 10 years old.
[Times photo: Jim Damaske]
Korean War veteran Gunnery Sgt. Wayne Morgan of the Marine Corps League, 054 Morris F. Dixon Jr. Detachment, of Clearwater, salutes the colors after he presented them.
LARGO - Not even a sprained ligament in her left ankle could keep Jennifer Turner away from honoring America's military heroes. Not this year.
This year her husband is not spending the holiday with their two children. He's is serving as a Marine in Kuwait.
Hobbling up on one good ankle, Turner joined a crowd of 500 to 600 who gathered in Serenity Gardens Memorial Park to honor veterans and those currently serving in the U.S. military.
Turner said it felt good to be there. Her husband, Jim, was deployed in January and recently left Iraq.
"It's nice to be around the same people who have been in the same position," Turner said of the crowd largely filled with war veterans or their families. "I came here today because I wanted to receive comfort."
Jennifer Turner was far from alone.
The day began along Wilcox Road, where nearly 200 people watched Pinellas County's only Memorial Day parade. For many, it was a time of reflection and deep appreciation.
"It makes you stop and think and appreciate what they (U.S. military) have done for us," said Virginia Pena of Largo.
Boy Scouts marched, firefighters waved and Largo police officers drove, playing patriotic music from their cars. The 30-minute parade ended at the edge of Serenity Gardens Memorial Park, where even more gathered under a large oak tree. Four hundred chairs were set under the tree, and many people sat on blankets or on chairs brought from home.
The event's keynote speaker, U.S. Rep. C.W. Bill Young, R-Largo, spoke about threats to American freedom and the fight against terrorism. He told the crowd to find hope in America's youth.
He said today's military volunteers "do it because they love this great country and are ready to do what they can do to protect it. They have a spirit of love for America."
Young praised his wife, Beverly, for a recent Army medical award she was given for visiting and caring for wounded soldiers in the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. Young said the average age of soldiers admitted to the hospital is 19, and some are without families or loved ones. Beverly Young said she has been visiting wounded soldiers for more than 10 years.
The one-hour ceremony included presentation of colors from the Indian Rocks Color Guard, Pinellas County Sheriff's Office and fire rescue volunteers and the Cub Scouts. Taps was played by Michael Bowles, his second ceremony of the day.
"Doing this, playing the trumpet, is doing my part, " said Bowles, whose father and five uncles served in World War II.
Turner, whose husband may return this summer, said she awoke this morning feeling pride, not sorrow. It was a good experiences for her, she said, because her emotions change hourly.
Turner said she hopes days like Monday will help America understand what soldiers have done: "They have given the ultimate sacrifice."
