WEST JORDAN, Utah (ABC4 News) The traditional Veterans Day celebration in West Jordan on Wednesday was laced with the spirit and memory of a local soldier who died in the attack at Fort Hood this week. Aaron Nemelka's family did not attend. They told ABC4's Ross Becker that they were exhausted after attending the memorial service Tuesday on the post in Texas.
The West Jordan parade began at 11 in the morning led by Senator Bob Bennett and by an Army color guard. The parade featured veterans from the World Wars, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. It ended at the park where a color guard raised the flag and the crowd of several thousand people sang the National Anthem.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars representatives were going through the crowd handing out "Buddy Poppies". It's a small red paper flower that is given away in return for donations to the VFW. The organization has been doing this since the 1920"s. The poppy flower symbolizes the sacrifice made by veterans and is referred to in the classic poem "In Flanders Field" by John McCrae. Flanders Field is a famous WW1 battlefield.
In Flander's Field
by John McCrae
In Flanders Fields the poppies blow,
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky,
The larks, still bravely singing, fly,
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the dead.
Short days ago,
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved and now we lie,
In Flanders Fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe
To you, from failing hands, we throw,
The torch, be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us, who die,
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow,
In Flanders Fields.
At the park in West Jordan today, Bruce DeHaan wore is Army hat, his leather jacket adorned with medals and his red, white and blue shirt. He is a Korean War era veteran and he had young Aaron Nemelka on his mind. He said, "it's real sad that they were killed there so this Veterans Day is a little bit different than others because it was so recent that they were killed."
