Local veterans honor fallen friends, heroes at Memorial Park

Local veterans honor fallen friends, heroes at Memorial Park

MEMORIAL PARK WASCANCELED DUE TOTHE PANDEMIC.BUT SOME LOCALVETERANS FELTCOMPELLED TO MAKESURE THEIR FRIENDSWHO DIED IN THE LINEOF BATTLE ARE NOTFORGOTTEN.SENIOR REPORTERJAKE WASIKOWSKIEXPLAINS.SUPER: JAKEWASIKOWSKISTANDUP 38:43-"AMEMORIAL DAYTRADITION HEREAND MEMORIALPARK BUTDIFFERENT THANANY OTHER YEAR.NO DIGNITARIES,NO SPEECHES, JUSTVETERANSHONORING ANDREMEMBERINGTHEIR BROTHERSTHEY LOST INBATTLE." :54VETERANSREPRESENTING ALLBRANCHES OF THEMILITARY MAKE SURETHE SACRIFICE OFNEBRASKANS ANDAMERICANS WHO DIEDIN BATTLE DON'T GOUNRECOGNIZEDNORMALLY HUNDREDSOF PEOPLE GATHERHERE THIS YEARONLYINVOCATIONS, ANDPRAYERS32:34-"WE REMAINETERNALLYGRATEFUL FOR THEPATH THEY PAVEDTOWARDS A WORLDMADE FREE FROMOPPRESSION." :40JAMES MARTIN DAVISSERVED INVIETNAMAND KNEW 12OR 13 OF THE PEOPLEENGRAVED INTO THEVIETNAMMEMORIALWHILE HESERVED THEY WENTTO SCHOOL, ANDCHURCH TOGETHERHE SAYS IT'S WHAT'SIN THEIR HEARTNOTTHE SIZE OF THECROWDSUPER: JAMESMARTIN DAVIS,MEMORIAL SERVICEORGANIZER,VIETNAM VETERAN22:45-"THAT'S WHATTHE WHOLE DAY ISABOUT ISREMEMBERINGTHESE PEOPLE WHOFOUGHT AND WEREKILLED.AND REMEMBER THEFAMILIES THAT HAVETHE GAPING WHOLEIN THEIR HEARTTHAT COULD NEVERBE FILLED." :56MEMORIAL PARK PAYSTRIBUTE TO WORLDWAR TWO, AND THEVIETNAM AND KOREANWARS THE MENFOLLOWED SOCIALDISTANCING AND ONLYINVITED A HANDFUL OFVETS DAN CUE-TIL-AKSERVED IN VIETNAM IN19-70AND WASAWARDED A SILVERSTAR AND PURPLEHEART HE SAYS HEWON'T EVER FORGETTHIS YEAR'SCEREMONYSUPER: DANKUTILEK; ARMY 1STAIR CAVALRY,VIETNAM34:50-"SO IT'SIMPORTANT THAT IWHO SURVIVED,WAS LUCKY, COMEBACK ALIVE ANDFEEL OBLIGATED TOREMEMBER THEM ATLEAST ONCE A YEAR.WE SHOULD DO ITMORE OFTEN BUTAT LEAST ONCE AYEAR." :05THEY PRAYED FOREACH OTHER'SHEALTH DURING THEPANDEMIC26:50-"US OLDSOLDIERS AND THEFAMILIES OF THOSENAMES ON THEWALL ARE DYING ATAN ALARMINGRATE." :58SMALL ADJUSTMENTSWERE MADE.NATS TAPSBUT THE MESSAGESTAYED THE SAMETHEY COULDN'TMOURN THEIRFELLOW SOLDIERSWHILE THEY WEREDEPLOYEDSO THEYCONTINUE TO KEEPTHEIR MEMORY ALIVEFOREVER NOW21:54-"WHEN WEAREN'T HERE TOREMEMBER WHO IS?WHO'S GOING TOREMEMBERERSTHESE GUYS?" :59REPORTING FROMMEMORIAL PARKJAKEWASIKOWSKI3 NEWSNOWALMOST 400NEBRASKANS WEREKILLED OR MISSING INACTION IN VIETNAM.