Hundreds attend Memorial Day Program at Forest Lawn Memorial Park to pay tribute

The placement of wreaths is held on Monday at the Memorial Day Program at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hendersonville.

Temperatures soared into the 80s in the late morning hours of Memorial Day on Monday at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hendersonville, but the heat didn’t keep away hundreds who came to pay tribute to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

Following the placement of wreaths to honor those who lost their lives in past wars, Taps was played and only the sound of the horn and the wind blowing could be heard, as all in attendance stood silently in reverence.

“As Americans, we should all remember that freedom isn’t free,” Master of Ceremonies R. Shuford Edmisten, the owner of Forest Lawn Memorial Park, said shortly after Taps had ended. “It is only possible because of our fallen heroes who have paid a high price… a price paid that enables us to have ceremonies and observances like this in communities across this great country.”

Edmisten thanked the crowd for braving the heat as the ceremony drew to a close. Earlier in the event, he talked about Memorial Day and what it should mean to everyone across the nation.

“We are here together to honor the memory of our fallen warriors who have given everything for their country. Memorial Day is not about picnics and parades. Memorial Day is about gratitude and remembrance. It’s about honoring the men and women who made it possible for us to gather here today in peace,” he said.

The 2022 Memorial Day program at Forest Lawn Funeral Home and Memorial Park.

Veterans from different wars participated in Monday’s event. Holding American flags along the route to the cemetery were members of the Hendersonville Chapter 14 DAV and also Dan Palmer, who is the site coordinator for Wreaths Across America. Palmer said Memorial Day holds a special place in his heart, since his father died in battle in World War II.

“I lost my dad when I was two months old. He died on Okinawa,” Palmer said.

The 2022 Memorial Day program at Forest Lawn Funeral Home and Memorial Park.

He had planned on following in his father’s footsteps and tried to join the military when he became of age, he said. But the government changed those plans.

“I enlisted in 1965. I was inducted at 9 o’clock in the morning. That afternoon, Congress passed the Sole Surviving Sons Act, and I was immediately discharged. I had no choice,” he said.

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As he looked out across the crowd gathered there Monday, he said it was nice to see people there paying their respects.

“This means that some people remember… but not enough,” he said. “When my mom was pregnant, my dad said, ‘No child of mine will have to speak German or Japanese, unless by choice.’ He went to Okinawa, saved 11 guys. He brought out wounded guys… then a sniper got him.

“I do this for all the veterans and for those that will be veterans. We do this for Veterans Day. It’s not about us. It’s my way of saying thank you to those who made us to be free Americans and being able to speak English.”

West Henderson High’s JROTC held a flag folding ceremony at the beginning of the event, under the direction of Lt. Col. Randy Lytle.

“It means a lot. I’m really impressed with the students who come out on a non-school day, a holiday, and give their time,” Lytle said. “It’s not many times during the year that we get a chance to honor the veterans, so it really means a great deal.”

Lytle served in the U.S. Army, and he said he’s the first one in his family to be a part of the military.

“It’s awesome to see everyone come out today. I think Hendersonville, as a whole, is very supportive of veterans,” he said.

This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: Hundreds attend Memorial Day Program at Forest Lawn Memorial Park to pay tribute