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Veterans Groups Gather to Honor the Fallen

In what is always an emotionally charged and deep ceremony, Glasgow's American Legion Post 41, American Legion Post 41 Auxiliary, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3107 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary Post 3107 held their annual Memorial Day celebration May 28, at the Glasgow Civic Center. In attendance were well over 100 veterans, residents and visitors to participate in the ceremony.

The celebration, which lasted just over an hour, featured performances of the national anthem, "God Bless America" and the "Armed Forces Medley." The EQ singers also provided musical arrangements for the ceremony. The ceremony closed with Taps played by Brad Persinger, Ph.D. and Leonard Swenson.

The guest speaker was Navy veteran and Reverend Todd Wright of the First Lutheran Church in Glasgow. Rev. Wright is new to Glasgow and Montana having moved here from Illinois to take up his charge as Pastor. Rev. Wright served six years in the U.S. Navy, three of which were aboard the USS Vage of Mayport Naval Station, Jacksonville, Fla.

He has a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, a master's of education and a master's in divinity with specialties in the areas of pastoral care to veterans and military families. Rev. Wright also served his chaplain internship at the Veteran's Administration Medical Center in St Cloud, Minn., and a chaplain residency at Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, Ill.

During his address, Rev. Wright differentiated the day from Veterans Day before going in-depth about service, purpose and sacrifice. He discussed being a member of a team saying that as a member of a team, "there is a larger common purpose and a goal." The Reverend went on to quote Scripture saying, "There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for a friend." While discussing the motivations many veterans have for their sacrifice, he focused on the various reasons to fight, for nation, for family and friends, but he stressed that many sacrificed for their fellow soldiers, marines, sailors and airmen.

A large portion of Rev. Wright's speech also focused on the current state of veteran's services, a subject for which he shows great passion. The Reverend said we were, "Failing in our obligation to leave no one behind." He went on to discuss the issues facing veterans but also to offer solutions in the form of service, pastoral care and rural veterans' outreach.He plans to bring these solutions to the Glasgow area by working with the Veterans Administration to provide specialized training to ministers, pastors and priests in the region. He said there is, "Greater need for spiritual and community support," for veterans.

Rev. Wright closed his speech saying, "We cannot earn our lives, the lives the fallen have paid for. We can't earn it but we can pay it forward."

 

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