By Maddy Vitale
Army Staff Sgt. Patrick Carney told an audience at the Ocean City Tabernacle on Memorial Day that he spent eight years of his military service in Iraq.
In a heartfelt speech, he informed hundreds of people who filled the room that he learned something that he will carry with him for the rest of his life.
“I learned that our flag doesn’t fly because the wind moves,” he said. “It flies with the last breath of each soldier who died protecting it. Because of my time in the military, I am reminded of that lesson every day.”
During the somber ceremony, veterans, dignitaries and others in the audience reflected on the lives lost in battle, paid tribute to their memory, and thanked those who continue to serve and protect the country.
Carney, of Northfield, is a married father of two. He served in the Army from 2005-2013, including two tours of duty in Iraq, and was honorably discharged for medical reasons.
Today, he works to help other veterans, as a veteran community outreach specialist for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. He keeps his K-9 companion dog, Henry, beside him.
“Enjoy freedom. It is OK to have barbecues today. It is OK to have a three-day weekend, too. And it’s OK to smile and enjoy the day,” Carney said.
But he also reminded the audience of the somber significance of Memorial Day, pointing out that 1.1 million members of the military died so that others could share in freedom and happiness.
The audience heard from dignitaries as well as veterans.
Mayor Jay Gillian said the community was fortunate to have American Legion Post 524 and VFW Post 6650. Without these groups, the Memorial Day service, and a host of programs for veterans in the community, would not be possible.
“We are lucky to have great veterans groups in Ocean City. Without them, this service would not have been possible,” Gillian noted.
Echoing Carney’s comments, the mayor told the audience to enjoy the day but reflect upon those who made the greatest sacrifice.
American Legion Post 524 member and Navy veteran Rob Cozen spoke of what the American Legion stands for, including a multitude of programs the group offers to help veterans and their families.
“We live in complicated times,” Cozen reflected. “Until our prayers for the end of all wars are answered, brave men and women who serve this country, whether overseas or home, will have the need of a helping hand.”
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Legion. Cozen said the Legion and its Auxiliary will continue to help those who need a “hand up.”
“For the next 100 years, or until the last soldier comes home from war, we will continue our important mission,” he said.
Throughout the ceremony, members of the military recalled their times of duty and what being in the military means to them.
American Legion Post 524 Adjutant Jack Hagan focused his remarks on a vital part of the ceremony, the prisoners of war.
He saluted the POWs and explained the significance of what was placed at the front of the stage for all to see.
It was a small table adorned with a red rose and white tablecloth. A glass was placed upside down on the table and there was a solitary, empty chair.
Steeped in symbolism, the table and other items represented the soldiers who were taken prisoner or went missing in action and never returned home from war.
“It occupies a place of dignity and honor,” Hagen said of the place setting.
He added, “We call them comrades and bear witness to their continued absence.”
Hagan explained that the white tablecloth symbolized the purity of the soldiers and the red rose represented the blood they may have spilled.
The glass was turned upside down because those soldiers could never enjoy a celebratory post-war toast. The chair remains empty because the soldiers are still missing.
But a white candle was also placed on the table, symbolizing the hope that all of the missing soldiers will someday return home.
The laying of the wreath, the ringing of a bell, and a presentation of the colors, all traditional ways to honor those who gave their lives, also comprised segments of the program.
Music rang out, signifying different military branches. Veterans stood up to eruptions of applause.
Many of the veterans on stage became emotional when addressing the crowd.
Bob Marzulli, commander of American Legion Post 524, read the names of the veterans who are enshrined in Ocean City’s Honor Roll.
After each name was called, George Meyers, a Vietnam veteran, rang a silver bell.
In closing, as in the 2018 service, Vietnam war veteran Michael Morrissey, Commander of VFW Post 6650 in Ocean City, gave his remarks.
He told the audience that it was a similar speech to the one he had given the year before. However, it was a bit more personal.
His voice cracked as he gave staggering numbers of the people who died in Vietnam.
Two words will continue to resonate with Vietnam veterans, he told the audience: “The wall.”
“There are 58,200 names on that polished black wall,” he said of those who died in the war and are enshrined on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. “It is hard to believe it has been 60 years since the first casualty, June 9, 1956.”
In all, 31 sets of brothers are on the wall. One soldier was just 15 years old, Morrissey said.
Morrissey said how hard it must have been and still is for the families who lost their loved ones.
He recalled his own friendships forged not on the battlefield, but long before they went to Vietnam, friends he grew up with and neighbors who also went to war but did not return home.
Morrissey fondly remembered playing ball with one friend who, like him, went to Vietnam, only he didn’t make it home. He would drink beer with another friend when they were teens. Then there was a neighbor he knew for years. They were casualties of war.
“The cost of freedom is very steep, but still, we went. We will continue to go if called,” he said.
After the ceremony, people filed out of the Tabernacle and went across the street to Veterans Memorial Park to view the wreath that was placed there in honor of those who gave their lives for freedom.
