Memorial Day services honor soldiers who died for country

As flags representing various branches of the military waved in the morning breeze Monday, former Marine Jack Thurman shared his experiences about serving at the Battle of Iwo Jima during World War II.

He recalled seeing red and blue flashes — battle fire — on the horizon just before landing on the coast.

“We could hear the booming of the artillery as they zeroed in on the island of Iwo,” Thurman said. “We thought to ourselves, ‘There’s no way anybody could stay alive on that island.’ The B-29s were bombing and dropping their loads on their way to Japan.”

The Mitchell native, who lives in Boulder, Colo., spoke Monday at the Memorial Day Celebration for Mitchell and Davison County at the American Legion section of Graceland Cemetery.

Thurman was one of 18 Marines captured in a second photo of flag raisers at Mount Suribachi taken after the famous shot of Marines and Navy corpsmen raising the flag on the island.

Iwo Jima had to be taken because B-29s were flying from Saipan and Guam to Japan. Pilots dealt with anti-aircraft fire as they flew over the island, which was in the path of the flight, Thurman said. A lot of planes crashed on the return flight from running out of fuel, and many pilots either drowned or were attacked by sharks, he said.

“The more we thought about that, the more determined we were to take Iwo Jima,” Thurman said.

The day of paying tribute to veterans began at Servicemen’s Memorial Cemetery with a service.

That cemetery was a sea of tall red, white and blue flags as they were positioned in a circle around the perimeter, with two rows down the center. Small flags dotted each grave.

Mitchell Municipal Band performed a few patriotic songs, with Arnold Braught singing, “Sleep Soldier Boy, Sleep.”

The Rev. Liam Muller of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Mitchell emphasized the importance of pausing to remember those who gave everything for their fellow citizens.

Some would call them heroes, but it’s doubtful they thought of themselves that way, he said. Rather, they thought they were doing the job they were trained to carry out, Muller said.

“They died so that we might keep our freedom. They died so that we might keep our liberty,” he said. “They died so that all we hold as truths might prevail over those who would deny them.”

Afterward, wreaths were presented, along with a 21-gun salute and the playing of “Taps” at one place in Graceland Cemetery and at Navy Mothers Lagoon.

At both services at American Legion and Servicemen’s cemeteries, the names of veterans who died in the past year were read. The service at American Legion Cemetery concluded with the release of doves, a symbol of peace.

LouOra Busk Houk, of Mitchell, attended the Servicemen’s ceremony to honor her former husband, Robert Busk, who served in the Army and National Guard before the Korean Conflict. He died in 1985. Her former parents-in-law also are buried there.

“Memorial Day is a time that should be spent memorializing,” she said. “When these people were living, they were always out here.”

Vietnam veteran Larry Sheldon, of Mitchell, came to pay respect to his fallen comrades. He served on the USS Enterprise aircraft carrier for the Navy in 1971 off the coast of Vietnam.

“If we don’t recognize the veterans on this day, all the sacrifices they made to keep us free would be for nothing,” he said.

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