“Honoring All Who Went and Never Returned”

“Lest we forget” and “Honoring All Who Went and Never Returned” were the answers supplied in Walhalla today to the question of why America celebrates Memorial Day. West-Oak Middle School student Caelee Norris and Walhalla High student Sydney Hood, first place essay winners, keynoted this year’s Oconee Memorial Day Ceremony, sponsored by the Oconee County Veterans Council. The ceremony featured poignant remarks by, among others, Walhalla Mayor Danny Edwards and Oconee Veterans Affairs Director Jerry Dyar about those servicemen whose lives were lost in conflicts and wars. The ceremony took place during the noon hour at the Walhalla Civic Auditorium. Two blocks away, on Main Street next to the courthouse, is a memorial park with a statue containing the names of 210 Oconeeans who died in service to the country.