Belpre community remembers fallen soldiers

BELPRE - The community honored veterans Monday during a Memorial Day ceremony at Leavitt Funeral Home in Belpre.

Despite the heat, about 100 people attended the service organized by American Legion Post 495 and the Ladies Auxiliary in Belpre.

"This is a great crowd," said Larry Hopkins, commander of Post 495. "We always work really hard on this service to make it a nice event for veterans and their families and supporters. We give this a special effort because this is a special day."

Leavitt's manager Dana Fouss spoke to the crowd about freedom.

"Our freedoms were not inherited; they were earned. Many people have made sacrifices that allow us to enjoy these freedoms," said Fouss.

"I don't ever want to put a number on a soldier who died for this country. Behind that number is a man or woman with a family who loves them and grieves for them. I also hope we never come to think of Memorial Day as just another day off work."

The ceremony included the laying of a wreath, posting of the colors, the Lone Soldier's rifle salute and "Taps."

Veteran Jim Furr of Lowell teared up during the playing of "Taps."

"To me, this day means honoring the people who died serving. I had a lot of friends who served with me who never made it home," he said.

Furr served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1967 to 1971 and is now part of detachment 1087 of the Marine Corps League of Wood County. This was his first time attending the Belpre Memorial Day service.

Thomas H. Bailey Sr. of Belpre served in the U.S. Navy for 35 years.

"I had good times and bad times in the navy. I'll never forget those years. I'm proud to be a vet, but mostly I'm proud of the soldiers overseas right now, especially in Afghanistan and Iraq," said Bailey, who has a grandson serving in Iraq.

Steve and Lou Ryan, a married couple who served in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War, attended the ceremony to pay their respects. The Ryans met in 1967 at Richards-Gebaur Airforce Base in Kansas City where they were stationed.

"This is our first time at this service, but we wanted to start coming to honor the military dead who gave us the freedoms we enjoy and helped make this country the best country on earth," said Lou Ryan. "We were fortunate to have served in the military and fortunate to have made it home safely to start a life together."