Clarksville, TN – Clarksville-Montgomery County, one of the most patriotic cities in America, always shows its true colors during Memorial Day. Each year, the Montgomery County Veterans Service Organization (MCVSO) hosts a wreath-laying ceremony at William O. Beach Civic Hall that brings together veterans, local leaders, and folks who represent every aspect of this wonderfully diverse community.
The usual participants take their turn with music, inspirational words, emotional readings, and of course the placement of wreaths to honor America’s fallen. The mayors or their representatives speak, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office Honor Guard posts the colors, and an invocation is given.
MCVSO’s Stacey Hopwood and Director Hector Santos always put on a reverent event, a reminder of those brave souls who have made it possible for us to celebrate this holiday and this country.
This year’s guest speaker was Grace Lord, wife of US Army (Retired) MG Walt Lord. She spoke of the history of Memorial Day itself and then delivered a poignant speech that provided a different perspective on war, service, and sacrifice.
Lord shared many wonderful thoughts, “For those of us who have lived the life – the understanding is deeply personal,” Lord said. “It’s the waiting. The kind of waiting that settles deep in your bones. The kind in which every unfamiliar car slows your breath, and every black SUV that turns down your street makes your heart stop. Just for a second, until it passes.”
She continued, “ … Grief in the military community is complicated. It is pride and heartbreak existing in the same breath.” She spoke of her husband’s service and of her children’s service. She asked the crowd to “teach their children the stories, reach out to Gold Star families, and support the military families living beside them.”
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