Community honors those who paid the ultimate price at Memorial Day observance

By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio

Monday, May 27, 2019 — Partly sunny skies greeting a large crowd Monday morning to the Bardstown Cemetery to pay tribute to the men and women who died in service to their country.

Kenny Fogle was again the emcee of the annual Memorial Day observance, which brings the community to gather this day each year around the city cemetery’s gazebo.

The event was dedicated to the 50th anniversary of Bardstown’s “Charlie” Battery, 2nd Battalion, 138th Field Artillery unit’s deployment to Vietnam, and the June 19, 1968 battle that led to the deaths of five local men.

Fogle said he had asked family members and survivors of the Guard unit if they would like to speak at Monday’s Memorial Day service. But no one wished to speak, saying the wounds were still too fresh in survivors’ minds.

Fogle then turned to Karl Lusk, the pastor of the Episcopal Church in Bardstown to speak on grief and loss. In addition to his pastor duties, Lusk also serves a a chaplain at Flaget Memorial Hospital, and chaplain to local the local police, fire, and EMS +services in Bardstown and Nelson County.

Lusk began his comments by noting he was no expert on what it was like to experience the trauma and pain of war and loss of a loved one. But he did share what he has learned talking with grieving family members in his job as chaplain.

“Grief shared is grief diminished,” Lusk said. “Joy shared is joy enhanced.

“As so as we come here today in this community, we can share. We can share the grief of those who experienced it. We can lend a shoulder, we can lend them a listening ear.”

“We can also share the job of living in this commmunity and in this country, where we are greatful of all the things we enjoy as given by our Creator.”

Lusk reviewed the history of Memorial Day, noting that it dates back to a time when communities cleaned up their cemeteries at the beginning of the summer monts.

After the Civil War, activities became more formalized to honor the war dead.

In 1968, Congress moved four federal holidays to Mondays to create three-day weekends; one of those was Memorial Day, which was set for the last Monday in May.

Lusk told a story about his father, who was a World War II veteran who commanded landing craft on the D-Day landing on Omaha Beach that brought in ammunition and evacuated the wounded. His father was reluctant to talk about his experiences in detail.

Lusk said he understood why the Guardsmen who returned home didn’t wish to talk about their experiences.

“We need to give them a shoulder, an ear if they wish, and arms of love in thanksgiving for what they did,” he said.

Lusk read the names of the five who died, asking for a moment of silence to honor their sacrifice.

An honor guard made of local Boy Scouts conducted the flag ceremony while the National Anthem was played.

Before the event closed, Doug Foster, the director of Honor Flight Bluegrass, spoke about the planned Honor Flight for members of “Charle” Battery set for later this year.

Jackie Summers gave the opening prayer, and her husband Jim Summers closed the event in prayer. The couple are pastors at Bardstown Christian Church (DOC).

The event is sponsored by American Legion Posts 42, 167 and 121.

-30-