Fallen are not forgotten during local Memorial Day ceremonies

Memorial Day celebrations across Cape Girardeau brought out hundreds of people to pay their respects with stars, stripes and salutes to fallen troops.

The day's memorials began early Monday when about 120 volunteers raised over 500 flags in Cape Girardeau County Park North to form the Avenue of Flags.

While the Avenue of Flags is raised each year to observe Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, Patriot Day and Veterans Day, this year's commemoration had a new tribute at the end of the avenue.

Freedom Rock, a 32-ton limestone boulder in Veterans Plaza at the park, features a patriotic tableau honoring local military servicemen. The boulder was donated by the Buzzi Unicem quarry and painted by Iowa artist Ray "Bubba" Sorensen II.

The mural is part of a larger construction being led by Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3838. Once completed, the Veteran's Plaza will have granite walls behind Freedom Rock with names of local service personnel engraved and benches to honor each branch of the military.

Freedom Rock sits at the end of the Avenue of Flags during its Memorial Day debut Monday in Cape Girardeau County Park North.BEN MATTHEWS

Landscape architect Paul Klaus said the entire project is estimated to be completed by Veterans Day.

Klaus, who served in the Navy from 1975 to 1981 on the USS Tripoli and the USS Duluth, described the project as some of his most "heart-to-heart" work.

"It has to be perfect," Klaus said. "It's gotta be flawless."

In the partially completed Veterans Plaza, VFW member David Cantrell led a memorial service that recognized the local fallen military and gave their families a chance to raise their flag in their honor.

One local serviceman honored was Eddie Clardy Jr., who died Feb. 10, 2013. Formerly of Jackson, Clardy served in the Marines during Operation Iraqi Freedom. His family described the memorial at Freedom Rock as "awesome" and "beautiful."

Participants in a Carry the Load walk during a parade down Broadway in Cape Girardeau on Monday to show support for military personnel and first responders. The parade began at the intersection of Water and Broadway and ended at Cape Girardeau County Park North.BEN MATTHEWS

Clardy's son, Hunter Clardy, leaves next Monday to begin training with the National Guard.

The dedications at Cape Girardeau County Park North also featured another first for the Avenue of Flags: a flag was raised to dedicate the life of a Civil War veteran. Frank C. Unnerstall died Nov. 5, 1913.

Cantrell said the dedication was made possible after a relative of Unnerstall found documents verifying his service in the war.

Later that morning, nearly 300 veterans and visitors attended a Memorial Day service held by the Cape Girardeau Joint Veteran's Council at the Osage Centre. The service included performances of patriotic music by the Cape Girardeau Municipal Band.

The program's speaker, Lt. Col. Dennis Vollink, spoke on the importance of remembering fallen soldiers, which he illustrated with an excerpt from Gen. Douglas MacArthur's speech at West Point on May 12, 1962.

"They died unquestioning, uncomplaining, with faith in their hearts and on their lips the hope that we would go on to victory," Vollink quoted. "Always, for them: duty, honor, country; always their blood and sweat and tears, as we sought the way and the light and the truth."

While Vollink pointed out only 0.6 percent of the U.S. population serves in the military, the lack of service per capita makes Memorial Day more important.

With less personal connections to active military, Vollink said it's more important to remind young people the freedoms they enjoy were earned by those honored on Memorial Day.

"Without them," Vollink said, "our freedom and constitution are in danger."

bmattthews@semissourian.com

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