Approximately 80 military veterans and their families attended the annual Memorial Day ceremony at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2779 in Orangeburg Sunday afternoon. Master of ceremonies Bill Salley began the event by reading a Memorial Day proclamation from Gov. Mark Sanford. The proclamation urged citizens to take a few moments to honor the memory of fallen veterans, and remember the ongoing personal sacrifices of those military personnel still serving all around the world.

Salley also announced that the Orangeburg County Veterans Council and the City of Orangeburg is in the process of working on a veterans’ memorial. Assistance from the public is welcome.

VFW Post 9386 commander Larry Jordan of St. Matthews was the featured speaker for the event, which concluded with the laying of a traditional memorial wreath. Jordan, who retired after 25 years in the Navy, was aboard the USS Intrepid when it participated in the recovery of the Gemini 3 space capsule. Jordan also graduated from flight school at the age of 39, one of only three warrant officers in the Navy at the time of his retirement designated as a flight officer.

Jordan told a story that signified to those in attendance how much military veterans—almost 1.3 million who have given their lives in the line of duty since the founding of the country—give of themselves and yet ask for so little in return for their service.

“Former Army General Colin Powell was once approached by a French admiral, who asked him when the United States was going cease their aggression in other countries,” said Jordan. “Gen. Powell replied that the United States is the only country that had taken countries and freed people, yet the only land we ever asked for in return was just enough to bury our military dead.”

Jordan recounted his own story of how his father had joined the Navy around the time of his birth—May 30, 1941—and how he later lost his life before the end of World War II.

“We both started out as aviation machinist’s mates in the Navy,” said Jordan. “Even though I never really knew my father, our shared military service created a bond between us. That same bond holds today; all veterans are my friends by extension because they perform their duty in defense of this country. We must continue to keep their memories real for succeeding generations so they will have the strength to continue to defend the United States.”

Other participants in the VFW Post 2779 Memorial Day ceremony were the Orangeburg County Veterans Affairs Office, Greater Orangeburg Leathernecks Marine Corps Detachment 1259, the Military Order of the Purple Heart 932, plus members and the Ladies Auxiliary of the American Legion Post 4, and VFW Posts 2779, 8166, and 10980.

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