By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
When Patrick Carney was asked to be the keynote speaker at Bowling Green’s Memorial Day program, he wasn’t sure he was the right guy for the job.
He isn’t a veteran.
Carney is a teacher, coach, husband and dad – but did not serve in the military.
“I’m just a civilian,” he said.
But then it hit him. He was the perfect person for the job.
“I’m a spokesperson for all civilians to say ‘thank you,’” Carney said as he began his speech in Oak Grove Cemetery Monday morning.
Carney teaches what he preaches in his Bowling Green Middle School American history classes. He explains to his young students that throughout the centuries, American service members have fought to protect their rights.
“Our most basic rights are not guaranteed everywhere in the world,” he said. “These did not come without a cost. Countless men and women have answered the call to defend them – sometimes to their dying breath.”
For the past 20 years,Carney has organized a Veterans Day program at the Middle School that connects local veterans with local students. As many as 100 veterans show up for the program.
The students are eager to learn from the veterans – who in turn are appreciative of the gratitude. But time and again, the veterans stress that they were the fortunate ones.
“They say, ‘ the real heroes didn’t make it home,’” Carney said.
This year, Carney’s eighth grade students were given the assignment of writing a letter to a fallen U.S. soldier. One boy remarked that his biggest worry in the morning is what to have for breakfast – thanks to veterans. A girl thanked soldiers for making the ultimate sacrifice. “You laid down your life for the country that you love,” she wrote. “Thank you for answering the call.”
“You stand up for those unable to stand up for themselves,” Carney said. “You did not shrink from service.”
While it is good to recognize the service of the fallen on Memorial Day, Carney stressed that the recognition should not be limited to one day a year. Civilians can pay their respects by stopping at battlefields and reading names at cemeteries.
And civilians can do veterans the honor of “living our lives in a way that would make our fallen heroes proud,” Carney said.
“We owe it to the fallen to live our lives to the fullest,” he said.
While the military branches have creeds to follow, Carney pointed out that a civilian creed was also adopted in 1918. It asks Americans to honor freedom, equality, justice and humanity.
So while Americans celebrate Memorial Day with cookouts and family gatherings, Carney asked them to do so with “a renewed sense of appreciation for the country and those who gave their lives.”
Bowling Green’s Memorial Day celebration began with a parade through the downtown area.
Lance and Katie Dasher brought their 3-year-old twins, Scarlett and Eleanor, to the parade.
“The girls love parades,” their dad said. “They are here for the fire trucks.”
They weren’t as thrilled about the rifle salute by the Civil War reenactors – the twins holding their ears for minutes after the blasts.
Noah Boice, Portage, a BGHS band sousaphone player was unable to march in the parade, but was there to support his brother, a tenor saxophone player in the band.
And BGSU students, Hallie Hamilton of Defiance, and Cammy Oliveri of Willowick, came downtown to the parade for the first time.
“We were both in marching band, so we know about parades,” Hamilton said. Both played trumpet at BGSU.
The parade stopped at the new veterans memorial at the Wood County Courthouse, then moved to Oak Grove Cemetery.
Participating in the program were Bowling Green Mayor Mike Aspacher, Public Service Director Joe Fawcett and Police Chief Tony Hetrick. Music was performed by Evie Van Vorhis and the BGHS Marching Band.
Bowling Green City Council member Greg Robinette explained the significance of the day.
“Today we pause to honor the American troops who didn’t get to come home and have a beer” with buddies or attend family gatherings. They came home in silence. More than one million American men and women have died in military service.
“The mourning is not just done one day a year,” Robinette said.
“All gave some, some gave all. May we always remember,” he said.
