MT. VERNON, IL — Those who made the ultimate sacrifice will once again be honored as the American Legion Post 141 will hold its annual Memorial Day service.
The service will begin at 10 a.m. Monday at the Jefferson County Courthouse. Post 141 Commander Robert Cearlock will call the program to order. The American Legion Post 141 will post the colors. Alyssa Oldham will sing the National Anthem and Ernie Collins, post 141 chaplain will give the invocation. Guests and Gold Star Mothers will also be recognized. The Heartland Young Marines prepared the courthouse grounds for the ceremony.
This year’s guest speaker is Greater Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Mike Beard. Beard is a Veteran of the United States Army last stationed at the 249th General Hospital at Camp Drake in Japan. The hospital was a 1,000 bed surgical facility servicing airlifted patients from Vietnam as needed before transfer to hospital in the United States.
One of his primary duties was to prepare and present Field Grade Combat Medals such as the Purple Heart to wounded soldiers while receiving treatment at the hospital. “I am very honored that the American Legion asked me to be the guest speaker,” Beard said. “I have been doing a lot of research about Memorial Day and I am very excited about being able to share some information about my research that will hopefully enlighten people a little more about Memorial Day and what it is all about.”
This year will also include special recognition of 99-year-old WWII Veteran Everett Atkinson. He enlisted in the United States Air Corps. Atkinson became a Commissioned 2nd Lieutenant on Aug. 30, 1943, and became a Flight Instructor in the Army Air Force. He was honorably discharged on Feb. 15, 1946, as a First Lieutenant. Atkinson returned to Mount Vernon, where he and his wife Doris raised their family of three children: Ruth Ann Clark-Wheeler, Rebecca Louise Hill and Dennis Dale Atkinson. His family includes seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Atkinson will receive various recognitions from prominent members in the community including Mayor John Lewis, Jefferson County Board Chairman Cliff Lindemann and Jefferson County Sheriff Jeff Bullard. Lewis said that Memorial Day is important to his family, with many members having served. “This is the time we remember those men and women who died in service for their country and nobody would be standing up there saying anything if it wasn’t for those people who went before us in those wars,” Lewis said. Atkinson will also be presented with letters from Governor J.B. Pritzker, Senator Dick Durbin and Senator Terri Bryant.
Special Guest, Major General (ret) William L. Enyart will also recognize Atkinson. He said that former Mayor David Keen asked if he could send Atkinson a card wishing him a happy birthday. “I said not only will I send him a birthday card, I will show up and hand deliver it. I think it is just a great opportunity for the citizens of Mount Vernon to express their pride in having a man like Mr. Atkinson in their midst and I think it is great we are honoring these hometown heroes,” Enyart said. “Memorial Day is a holiday that is designed to honor those who lost their lives during war and we don’t generally honor living veterans during Memorial Day, that is Veterans Days. But I think it is important with the age of the WWII generation that we take the time to honor them now. I can’t think of a better thing to do on Memorial Day then to honor the people of the Greatest Generation.”
Enyart’s nearly 36-year military career included active-duty service in the United States Air Force and nearly 30 years in the Army National Guard. He culminated his service as Adjutant General of the Illinois National Guard, commanding the more than 13,00 soldiers and airmen of the Air and Army National Guard from 2007 to 2012. He served as Southern Illinois’ United States Congressman in the 113th Congress where he served on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Agriculture Committee. He frequently appeared on the CSPAN television network. He retired from Congress in January 2015. He frequently speaks on leadership, veterans’ issues, and defense policy.
Cearlock shared some of the history regarding Memorial Day. He said three years after the Civil War ended, on May 5th, 1868, the head of an organization of Union veterans, the Grand Army of the Republic, established Decoration Day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers.
Maj. Gen. John A. Logan declared that Decoration Day should be observed on May 30. “I just want everyone to know how important Memorial Day is, especially in Southern Illinois, because it started here,” Cearlock said. “We have a college named after the man that actually ordered it.”
After the ceremony the American Legion Post 141 will have a Meet and Greet at its location, 816 Main St. until 3 p.m, featuring hotdogs and soft drinks. For more information the public may call 242-4561.