On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, there won’t be much activity happening at the Bartholomew County Memorial for Veterans.
One of the latest casualties of the COVID-19 crisis is the annual Veterans Day Service, which has been canceled for this year due to the pandemic.
“We wanted to see what would happen with the COVID-19,” Ellison said. “If the rates continued to decline statewide and Bartholomew County’s rates kept improving, we probably would have had it. But with the numbers going up, and the recent occurrences of people getting sick, we just decided it wasn’t worth it,” said Zack Ellison, of the Bartholomew County Veterans Service Planning Committee.
Another consideration is that the majority of people who attend the ceremony are in their 70s, 80s and 90s, Ellison said. Medical experts say older individuals are likely to suffer the most serious consequences if they catch COVID-19.
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One of the ceremony’s highlights has been the reading of the names of Bartholomew County veterans who have died over the last year. As each name is given, a helium-filled balloon is released in their honor. The release is handled annually by the Bartholomew County Funeral Home Directors Association.
Often, this tribute has taken place while composer John Williams’ “Hymn To The Fallen” — the closing music from the 1998 film “Saving Private Ryan” — plays softly and reverently in the background.
The committee has long been considering moving this part of the Veteran’s Day ceremony to the Memorial Day observance in late May, Ellison said.
“Many of us on the committee feel all of this is more appropriate on Memorial Day than Veteran’s Day,” he said.
But even with the Nov. 11 event canceled, retired U.S. Air Force Major Gen. Mark Pillar says there are ways to show your respect to those who served their country.
It can be as simple as thanking someone you see who is wearing a veteran’s hat for their service, Pillar said.
“They signed a document that said they would defend the country against all enemies foreign and domestic,’ the retired general. “They deserve that.”
Another suggestion is if you have recently lost an good friend that served with you in the military, call up another buddy who also knew that person — and spend some time talking.
“I think that’s a great idea,” Pillar said.
