War monuments on public display in Charleston and Tutwiler pay silent tribute to the bravest of Tallahatchie County, who made the ultimate sacrifice in devotion to their country.
Two markers stand on the southwest corner of the county courthouse grounds in Charleston. Another stands in Tutwiler’s Railroad Park.
Engraved on these memorials are the names of more than 100 Tallahatchians who have given their lives in service to the United States of America armed forces, from World War I until now.
If I am walking on the sidewalk along the outer perimeter of the Charleston courthouse grounds, I sometimes pause for a moment to acknowledge the twin monuments. More often than not, I just glance at them, if that, and walk on by — not out of callousness or any disrespect, but because I have something else on my mind, some task to complete, some mission to accomplish.
How many of us who drive past these military-themed tributes on a regular basis ever think about what they are, and what they mean? Truth be told, they are but a blur, a blip on the landscape, blending into the background like a lot of other things we glimpse between where we have been and where we are going.
If we do see the monuments in passing, we often are thinking about something else at the time, but not about what happened, probably in some foreign land, to claim the lives of these local patriots whose names adorn the memorials.
We know, we understand, that it is largely because of the service of these uniformed military personnel to our nation that we continue to have the freedom to do and think about this, that or the other, or nothing at all.
So, on one day each year, Memorial Day, which is Monday, we are asked to consider and remember those who died while serving in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard, whether during wartime or peacetime.
On Memorial Day, many of us enjoy a day off from work because it is a national holiday, and we get to spend it as we please. That, too, is because of our heritage and continuing blessings of freedom — bought, paid for and continually preserved by our armed forces.
The men and women who are honored across the country on Memorial Day did not take a holiday. They did not leave their assigned post, and they did not return home. They deserve a thought, a prayer, respect, for giving their all.
Along that same vein, on Veterans Day, a federal holiday observed each Nov. 11, we are reminded to pay tribute to all of this country's military veterans — not just those who died with their combat boots on.
My dad, who served in Korea, was one of the fortunate ones; he made it home. He served honorably and fulfilled his mission, and was able to live another 50-plus years after wartime, then to die as an old man on American soil, not 10 miles from where he was born and lived his entire life.
Memorial Day and Veterans Day often are considered interchangeably, which does no harm. A veteran, or one who came back home after their time in the military, is no less worthy of our respect and admiration. In fact, it is a blessing that we are able to salute him or her for their service.
Paying honor and tribute is the bottom line.
Clay McFerrin is editor and publisher of The Sun-Sentinel.
