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.

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