The Memorial Day display here at the Pember was put together by Mike Smith.
He had this to say:
“Our nation was created and has endured through war. The British, with Colonial help, wrested control of the colonies from the French and their Native American allies in the French and Indian War. The fledgling Colonial Army under George Washington then defeated the ‘greatest army on earth’ during our Revolutionary War. Most of the deciding battles in both wars occurred within 100 miles of Granville NY.
“The American fighters in these two wars were, for the most part, farmers, woodsmen, and tradesmen who felt strongly enough in their beliefs of freedom and independence to take up arms and be willing to die for those beliefs. This traditional willingness to fight and die for one’s beliefs created the bedrock on which this great nation of ours has endured throughout the last two centuries.
“Today, America finds itself as the lone superpower on earth. We, as a nation, survived the bloodiest internal conflict (Civil War) any surviving nation has ever endured. We were the deciding factor in ending the ‘war to end all wars’ (WWI). The total human effort of all the citizens of this great nation led to the ultimate defeat of the greatest axis of evil this world has ever known (WWII).
“The one common denominator throughout our history has been the willingness of American men and women to fight and, unfortunately, die for their belief in our way of life. This Memorial Day take the time to listen, or read some of the selections presented here to try to understand the sacrifices our veterans have made to insure the freedoms we all enjoy.”