Colonel Kevin Hickman returned to his home town, Fulton, to deliver the Memorial Day address during which he pondered the reasons this holiday is observed.
He referenced the words of President Ronald Reagan “It is a day of thanks for the valor of others, a day to remember the splendor of America and those
of her children who rest in this cemetery and others. It is a day to be with
family and remember.”
The speaker also referenced the words of President Donald Trump when
he wrote “Memorial Day is our nation’s solemn reminder that freedom is
never free. It is a moment of collective reflection on the noble sacrifices
of those who gave the last measure of devotion in service of our ideals
and in the defense of our nation. On this ceremonious day, we remember
the fallen, we pray for a lasting peace among nations and we honor these
guardians of our unalienable rights.”
Colonel Hickman urged his listeners to remember and pray for the nearly
200,000 US troops deployed worldwide.
He cited the movie “Hacksaw Ridge” which relates the story of Desmond
Doss, a conscientious objector, who in spite of his refusal to handle a gun,
joined the Army in 1942 as a medic and earned the Medal of Honor. “A man
labeled a coward, displayed the highest level of courage.”
Participating in the Fulton service were Nancy Ciccone, Mayor Terri Hickman
The Vineyard Church of Morrow County, the Cardington-Lincoln High School
Band directed by John Brehm and Squadron 97 of the Sons of the American
Legion, Cardington. The service followed a parade that followed a route
through Fulton.