During the Memorial Day Ceremony at the Cherokee Veterans Park on the morning of Monday, May 29, 2023, the Ringing of the Bell of Honor & Remembrance Ceremony, dedicated to the members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians who were killed in action, was performed by Col. Bob Blankenship, right, U.S. Army (Ret.), who read the list while Kolanvyi (Big Cove) Rep. Perry Shell, U.S. Army (Ret.), rang the bell in their honor and memory. (SCOTT MCKIE B.P./One Feather photo)
By L.H. Harding
For many of us who have lost family members in the horrors of war, remembrance is not easy, and it is painful. It is the price we pay for the price they paid. They made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of the nation that we love. Sacrifice is meaningless without remembrance. We venerate their valor and speak of them in hushed tones and reflect on their lives with a spirit of reverence. It is up to us who survive to pause for a short time on Memorial Day. Show gratitude for the human losses of so many, that we may be free.
Come and be with us at the Yellowhill Veterans Memorial Cemetery for our Cherokee program of remembrance. It will begin at 11a.m. An hour of your time for an eternity of theirs. Please come and show them you care.
