Abbreviated Memorial Day Ceremony draws nearly 40 to Courthouse lawn

The Courthouse clock is about to chime noon as an intentionally reduced for public safety Memorial Day crowd gathers. Royal Examiner Photos/Roger Bianchini – Royal Examiner Video/Mike McCool

Despite minimal public notice, this community’s eighth annual Memorial Day Ceremony always including a nod to the K-9 Dogs of War drew a respectful, partially masked and generally socially distanced between family groups crowd of over 35 to the Historic Warren County Courthouse grounds in downtown Front Royal at noon, Monday.

Following the announcement of Virginia Governor Ralph Northam’s Phase One partial reopening from mandated Coronavirus pandemic precautions, the now co-Town sponsored event was resurrected under a limited plan to honor America’s fallen and their families without endangering citizens from the still-prevalent COVID-19 Coronavirus that has killed over 97,000 Americans just past four months since the first case was identified on our shores.

For perspective, our war in Vietnam claimed just under 60,000 American lives lost in action over a 20-year period (1955-75); 9/11 claimed just under 3,000 lives on one day in 2001; and Benghazi claimed 4 American diplomat lives on assignment in a terrorist hotspot.

Marine vet and reservist Robert McDougall introduces Michael Williams to say the invocation for Front Royal’s Memorial Day event, 2020.

The theme of sacrifice and struggle symptomatic of, not only wars between peoples, but also once again between new viral disease strains and their animal or human hosts was a part of stirring remarks by both event moderator Marine Corps Reservist Lt. Colonel Robert McDougall and Lay Minister Michael Williams to kick off Monday’s ceremonies as the courthouse bell chimed noon.
Introduced for the invocation by McDougall, Williams set an emotional tone for this Memorial Day, 2020: “Almighty God what an incredible blessing to live in a country where we can freely come together and be thankful.

“What a joy to live in a country where we can come together and peacefully assemble.

“What a joy to live in a country where men, women and a lot of our four-legged friends gave the ultimate sacrifice so that we could do what we do.

“What an incredible blessing that we live in a country where the biggest complaint we have right now is whether we should wear a mask. – Father, how selfish of us.

Forgive us … Please let us be thankful for one another – period. Whether we agree with them or disagree, it’s irrelevant. We live in a country where we can freely differ. And we have that because of the many people who gave their lives for us so that we can peacefully differ … Help us to be humble, not out of a spirit of arrogance, but out of a spirit of kindness.

NOT that kind of mask – an armed ‘Re-open now’ advocate wears a clown mask in a seeming reference to a later ‘American Horror Story’ TV season. The photo was not taken here but from an NBC news report on the COVID-19 closing controversies around the nation.

“Help us to have our conversations; help us to differ respectfully; help us to laugh; help us to love. And let us never forget those who gave that ultimate sacrifice so that we could stand here on that hallowed ground today,” Williams prayed, then acknowledging the Town and County leaders and citizens present to mark the solemn occasion.

“Thank you for our town; thank you for our mayor; thank you for our board of supervisor’s chairman, and thank you … for those who came here today of their own free will to be thankful for the men and women and the many others who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. Amen.”

A 12-year active duty Marine who still serves as a reservist, McDougall, then acknowledged participants and continued William’s invocation’s theme of the depth of the importance of Memorial Day as a living memorial, not only to those gone but left behind and all Americans seeking to keep a nation’s democratically based spirit alive.

The laying the wreath, donated once again by Fussell Florists and proprietors Betty and Steve Showers, was performed by Front Royal Mayor Eugene Tewalt and County Board of Supervisors Chairman Walter Mabe. Other elected officials present included Supervisors Delores Oates and Cheryl Cullers and Councilman Gary Gillespie and his canine friend.

Above, Mayor Tewalt left, and County Board Chair Mabe lay the Memorial Day wreaths. Below, one family visits the wreath and courthouse lawn memorial site following the approximately 13-minute ceremony.

McDougall acknowledged Royal Examiner contributor and good friend, British-born Malcolm Barr, a Royal Air Force veteran, for resurrecting this community’s Memorial Day ceremony eight years ago, with its special acknowledgment of the role of our K-9 Corp “Dogs of War” who have been on the front lines with American soldiers in every conflict since World War II. McDougall noted the first military dog training school opened here in Warren County in 1943.

While usually represented by many citizens’ dogs at the normally conducted ceremony at the Gazebo/Village Commons, due to the abbreviated pandemic nature of this year’s ceremony the Dogs of War were officially represented by Barr’s Husky Rescue dog Diva, alone.

Malcolm Barr and his dog Diva – event moderator Lt. Col. McDougall noted Barr’s leadership role in resurrecting a local Memorial Day event here eight years ago. Good work, Malcolm – and Diva, Lt. Col McDougall, and all participants.

“Freedom is not free. And for so many families, every day is Memorial Day. Please do what you can to support the families of service members that did not come home,” McDougall reminded us of the ongoing nature of sacrifices made, with a nod at one point to Able Forces Veteran Services CEO Skip Rogers presence.

“Cherish each day of the freedom that these brave men and women provided us. Remind those you gather with this weekend about the TRUE MEANING (emphasis in context) of Memorial Day – for it is both a day to mourn and to celebrate the courageous sacrifice that has been made to protect our way of life.

“May God Bless the fallen, and may God Bless America. Thank you for being here today,” McDougall closed in acknowledging those present, adding a heartfelt, “Semper Fidelis”.

Saluting the flag during National Anthem as ceremony opens at noon.

And you too can be there to memorialize, commemorate and remember what the sacrifice of those who have gone before us has preserved for us all in this exclusive Royal Examiner video recording. – Come, celebrate Memorial Day 2020 with us: