Back to News

Remembering the fallen

ROTC volunteers pay tribute to departed comrades of generations past

ROTC volunteers prepare flowers for veterans’ gravestones at Evergreen Washelli Cemetery Sunday morning. Photo credit: Jared Lovrak

Email Article Print Article Share on Facebook Share on Reddit Share on StumbleUpon

ROTC volunteers gathered at Veterans Memorial Cemetery at Evergreen Washelli in Seattle last Sunday to honor the men and women of the Armed Forces who paid the ultimate price for their dedication to our nation and its citizenry. Three units of ROTC cadets representing the Air Force, Army and Navy quietly adorned the graves of hundreds of military personnel with more than 1,500 roses and traditional poppies - repurposed from the previous evening's Ten Grands Seattle concert at Benaroya Hall - and offered each headstone a crisp salute that could not be returned. Although some of the fallen gave their lives nearly 100 years ago, the significance of their sacrifice still rings loudly in the hearts and minds of these aspiring cadets.

Cadet Ethan Graebner, an Air Force ROTC member and a freshman at UW participating in the ceremony for the first time said, "I think it's important that we don't forget them, and that we give them the honor and respect they deserve." Graebner's fellow cadets shared similar sentiments.

Their instructor, Maj. Isseyas Mengistu, offered some additional insight into the ceremony's purpose. "For the cadets, it gets them used to (...) what it really means and (...) how serious the sacrifice might be for the things they're getting into."

None of the cadets appeared dissuaded by this revelation.

As the cadets gathered on a hill to survey their handiwork, what had once been a seemingly endless ocean of white marble headstones was now an ocean of red and orange flowers. Seeing the cadets' smiling faces as they posed for a photo, I imagined their departed comrades-in-arms were smiling back at them.

This Memorial Day, when we pause to pay our respects to the people we've lost over the years, we should also take the time to honor the military personnel who are still with us. If you have a man or woman in your family standing at the ready, tell them how proud of them and how humbled you are by their bravery. More importantly, tell them how much you love them. And if there's a rough man or woman who stood at the ready and was fortunate enough to make it back home, remember that they made it back because someone else didn't.

Read next close

News

Nine new holes to open

comments powered by Disqus