The Rev. Lewis Geigan is often reminded, when he talks about Memorial Day, about the Bible passage John 15:13: "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."
Geigan, the chaplain for the American Legion Bernard L. Tobin Post 128 in Aberdeen, cited the recent death of a Navy SEAL, 31-year-old Charles Keating IV, May 3 in northern Iraq as Kurdish troops and their U.S. advisers battled Islamic State fighters, as an example of that Bible passage.
Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Keating was part of a quick reaction force sent to assist fellow troops who were being attacked by ISIS fighters.
"He was fighting ISIS to help his friends, and he died for them and for the freedom that you and I have today," Geigan said during Monday's Memorial Day ceremony in Aberdeen.
The commemoration was held in Veterans Park at North Parke and North Rogers Streets. It was organized by Legion Post 128, Aberdeen Memorial VFW Post 10028 and Korean War Veterans Chapter 271.
"I am so proud to be an American," Geigan said.
Aberdeen Mayor Patrick McGrady gave welcoming remarks, during which he noted more than 1.2 million Americans have died fighting in U.S. wars starting with the American Revolution.
"From the American Revolution through the Civil War, through world wars, and today in the Global War on Terror, 1.2 million Americans have perished in service to America," McGrady said. "On behalf of all of the Aberdeen citizens, thank you for your sacrifice, so that we may stand and proclaim our freedom to the world."
Maj. Gen. Daniel Karbler, commander of the Army Test and Evaluation Command at Aberdeen Proving Ground, was the guest speaker.
A long freight train passed along the tracks behind a line of trees parallel to Rogers Street shortly after Karbler began speaking.
He paused for a few minutes as the train lumbered past. The general joked that it was "Aberdeen's version of a flyover."
"It happens every time," Andy Powell, commander of the Legion post, said of the train's passage, a regular occurrence during annual Memorial Day and Veterans Day events in Veterans Park.
Karbler then became serious as he talked about the sacrifices made by Gold Star families, the relatives of members of the military who have died during wartime, as they continue to grieve for their loved one.
"We are eternally grateful," he said. "We will maintain our steadfast commitment while honoring the legacy of their children's sacrifice and service to the nation."
Karbler also talked about how a soldier is a soldier for life, even after he or she leaves the Army.
He said soldiers for life are known for "selfless service." He stressed that term does not mean looking out for oneself first.
"What it does mean is, willingly making a personal sacrifice for the good of the whole," Karbler said.
Representatives of area military organizations laid wreaths at the park's war memorial. The Legion Post 128 honor guard provided a rifle salute and performed taps, and the Aberdeen Middle School band performed the national anthem and "You're a Grand Old Flag."
Two new features of Aberdeen's Memorial Day observance included a display of about 50 American flags around the edge of the nearby Festival Park – the Flags of Honor tribute was sponsored by the Aberdeen Chamber of Commerce, and people could sponsor a flag in honor of a loved one who is either active-duty military, a veteran or has served in the military and died.
The other new feature was two plywood silhouettes of soldiers placed on either side of the memorial in Veterans Park. City resident Robert Elliott, an Army veteran who served during the Korean War era, created the silhouettes for the Aberdeen Appearance and Preservation Committee.
One silhouette shows a soldier saluting, and the other is of a soldier kneeling before a cross, grieving for a dead comrade.
Elliott, the husband of former mayor and City Councilwoman Ruth Elliott, attended Monday's ceremony. He wore a blue camouflage cap in honor of his son's service in the Navy.
"I enjoyed doing it," he said of making the silhouettes, which took three days. "It took a while, but I'm proud I got it done."