Remembering the missing and fallen

SEELEY LAKE –

More than 50 veterans, their families and visitors attended this year's Memorial Day Ceremony at the Seeley Lake Memorial Garden May 27. While veterans in attendance were thanked and honored with applause, the focus was on those who answered the call to service and paid the ultimate price.

Barbara Knopp, president of Seeley Lake Veterans & Families, shared the story of "The Table of the missing soldier." The table honors the men and women who died serving in the US Armed Forces.

The table is round to show everlasting concern and devotion for the fallen and missing comrades. The cloth is white symbolizing the purity of their motives when answering the call to duty. The single red rose in a vase reminds of the life and blood that was shed and their loved ones and friends who keep faith and await answers. The red ribbon on the vase symbolizes commitment and continued determination to account for the missing.

The slice of lemon reminds of the bitter fate of those captured and missing in foreign lands. The salt reminds of the tears endured by those missing and their families who still seek answers. The black napkin is a reminder of isolation, deprivation and the cruel fate of the missing. The Bible represents the strength gained through faith to sustain those lost from our county founded as one nation under God. The glass is inverted to symbolize their inability to share with us. The chair is empty and tilted.

"They are not here and will remain so until they return or are accounted for," said Knopp. "You are not forgotten so long as there is one left in whom your memory remains."

"Here in Montana, we have a rich legacy of service. In virtually every conflict, Montana is a leading state in service members per capita and thousands of Montanans have laid down their lives," wrote Senator Steve Daines in a letter read by Daines' representative Jack Curren. "It is their sacrifice that allows us to live our lives in peace and freedom and it is imperative that each of us honor and never forget their sacrifice."

"We remember our fallen and the sacrifices of our nation's heroes," said Knopp. "They never gave up on us and we can't give up on them."