Memorial Day 2026

Local Communities Gather to Remember Those Who Gave All

By Andrew Postle, The Quill

Residents across the area gathered over the weekend to remember and honor the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation. 

From cemetery services to a downtown ceremony, each community paused to pay tribute to local veterans through prayers, stories, music, and moments of solemn remembrance.

Hetrick noted the difficulty of expressing adequate thanks to veterans, a sentiment highlighted by the flags placed at graves throughout local cemeteries. 

He observed that military service changes every individual and expressed hope that the experience matures those who serve.

Citing the Declaration of Independence and Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, Hetrick emphasized that all are created equal and endowed by their Creator with inalienable rights. 

He celebrated America’s freedom to pursue one’s own path and recalled Lincoln’s message that sacrifices, not speeches, hallow the ground. 

“All gave some, but some gave all,” Hetrick said, urging the crowd to remember those who died for freedom rather than treat the day solely as the start of summer.

He highlighted America’s unique appeal as a land of abundance and opportunity, founded on dedication to faith and liberty. Hetrick called on citizens to honor the fallen by participating in democracy, including voting, and expressed pride in the nation purchased through sacrifice.

The service concluded with the singing of “My Country, ’Tis of Thee” and the playing of Taps.

His regiment saw significant action in France in the Argonne Forest. He was killed in action on October 12, 1918, at age 22. 

His remains were later returned and laid to rest in the mausoleum at Glade City Cemetery in Blandinsville on September 23, 1921. 

Pvt. Olson was awarded the WWI Victory Medal and Purple Heart. The local American Legion building is named the Hicks Olson Post after Pvt. Olson and the next hero honored at the service.

Taylor Thompson shared the story of Corporal Marion Hicks. Born in Blandinsville to Franklin and Annabel Hicks on October 24, 1895, he enlisted in the U.S. Army on April 13, 1917. 

He was sent to France with the Rainbow Division (42nd Infantry) on October 18, 1917. He was killed in action on November 9, 1918 just two days before the armistice. 

The Rainbow Division, nicknamed by then Col. Douglas MacArthur, saw some of the most intense fighting of the American Expeditionary Forces. Corporal Hicks was buried at the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery in Lorraine, France.  He was awarded the WWI Victory Medal and Purple Heart.

Linetta Null spoke about Staff Sergeant Zane Allen. Allen was born in 1924 in Minnesota to Carl and Alfreda Allen. The family moved to Blandinsville when Zane was 5. 

He graduated from Blandinsville High School in 1942.  He entered the Army on March 31, 1942, and was assigned to the 75th Division, 291st Infantry. He was sent to Europe in October 1944. His unit entered action on Christmas Day. 

On February 4, 1945, he was wounded in Belgium and received the Purple Heart. He was killed in action on March 18, 1945, near Orsoy, Germany, at age 20. 

Allen had volunteered to lead a patrol to determine enemy location and strength when he was struck by machine-gun fire.  His body was initially laid to rest in Holland before being returned to Blandinsville in 1949 and buried at Glade City Cemetery. 

He received the following medals: WWII Victory Medal, Purple Heart, American Campaign Medal, Army Presidential Unit Citation, and Army Good Conduct Medal.

Charles Bright shared the story of his father’s first cousin, Meredith Bright. Meredith was born in Fountain Green to Ross and Grace Bright. He graduated from Blandinsville High School in 1942 and was nicknamed “Snowball.” 

He joined the Army on July 18, 1944. Originally rejected because of a physical defect, he underwent a serious operation on his own initiative to correct the issue. 

He sailed on Christmas Day 1944 with the 146th Infantry, 87th Division. Serving in Patton’s 3rd Army, he was killed in Belgium on February 13, 1945, his 13th day of action, at age 20 by shrapnel and small-arms fire. 

His body was initially laid to rest in Belgium before being returned home in 1945 and interred at Glade City Cemetery. He received the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, WWII Victory Medal, and American Campaign Medal.

Next came the reading of the names of McDonough County veterans who had passed since the last Memorial Day by Lynn Dougherty, Pat Hainline, and Carol Reed.

Jeff Johnson performed the laying of the wreath in front of the Veterans Memorial. The Honor Guard rendered a 21-gun salute and played Taps.  The service concluded with a benediction by Aaron Baker.

Citing Henderson County records, he said 200 local soldiers have been lost in the nation’s wars, most in the early years, and questioned how many since World War II are still remembered. He honored not only those who died, but all who served, saying each understood “it was just fate that it could have been any of them.”

Peterson described the burden carried home by families and by veterans who remain silent about what they saw. He called the veterans who share stories, maintain Legion posts, restore military relics, and place flags on graves “so people can remember and not forget” true heroes, as well as the widowed mothers and wives facing the “heavy bombardment of tears and loss.”

“I think it’s God the Father that makes a hero,” he said, drawing a parallel between military sacrifice and Christ’s: “God lost His own Son, just for our sake. That loss gave us eternal freedom... That freedom is what gives us the strength to fight for the freedom we have today.”

He closed by urging the community to “always remember and never forget all those who did sacrifice,” and prayed that residents would share stories with their children and grandchildren to help them understand “the cost was terrific.”

Both services ended with a 21-gun salute and the playing of Taps.

He prayed that the country would continue to seek God’s wisdom and guidance, as embodied in the Constitution and Declaration of Independence, and that residents would honor those who have defended its freedoms.

Though the services varied in size and setting, each carried the same powerful message: freedom is not free. 

Through heartfelt speeches, shared stories of local heroes, the reading of names, and the echoing notes of Taps, area residents reaffirmed their commitment to remember those who gave all. 

In small towns and quiet cemeteries, Memorial Day was observed in its truest form, not as a holiday, but as a sacred duty to never forget.