Friday afternoon, 113 crosses decorated with flags were placed in rows on the lawn behind the American Legion Post 696 building on Veterans Boulevard.
The crosses represent the 113 Kentucky service members who have died since the attacks of September 11, 2001. Meanwhile, Post 696’s Honor Guard stood ready to fire a 21-gun salute.
The Post kicked off the city’s Memorial Day commemoration with the “Flanders Fields” service to honor veterans, especially those who served in World War II.
Jessie Hettinger, who organized the ceremony, said that with the help of the Daviess County Public Library, she looked up the names of every veteran from Owensboro and Daviess County who served in World War II. Hettinger said 2,817 men served in the armed forces during the war.
There were too many names to read them all during the brief memorial, so members of the veteran community read a handful of names while highlighting some of their stories.
Derek Van Tuyl, an Army veteran who served as a combat medic in Iraq and Afghanistan, said residents of Owensboro and Daviess County are especially supportive of veterans.
“I’m originally from New York, and one of the reasons I’m here is because (Owensboro) has a very large veteran community, and citizens in the community are more supportive of veterans than anywhere I’ve ever been,” he said. . “That’s what Memorial Day is all about: we want to honor and remember those who are no longer here.”
The Poppies Field Service focused on local service members from World War II and all U.S. service members who died in the war, Hettinger said.
“The majority of our World War II veterans are deceased,” Hettinger said. “I am so proud of all the veterans who have gone on to serve. I’m sorry I don’t have time to announce you all, but I’m thinking of you.”
Van Tuyl, who takes an 11-mile walk every Memorial Day to honor friends who died while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, said the walks have grown into a community event, with several people walking in honor of veterans. This year’s walk begins at 9 a.m. at the Shelton Memorial and ends back at the memorial in Smothers Park.
“Personally, it gives me time to think about my friend and the good memories, and the lives that were cut short,” Van Tuyl said.
