Bob Caruso had an important mission Saturday.
It was his job, along with 100 other members of American Legion Post 178, to place 5,000 small American flags on the graves of veterans in the Augusta area. They did not take their duties lightly.
"Freedom is not free, but if not for these soldiers, we wouldn't have it as good as we do," said Mr. Caruso, a Vietnam veteran and chairman of the post.
Thousands of families across the nation today will visit grave sites, fly their flags and share stories of fallen soldiers. Like Mr. Caruso, they have a chance on Memorial Day to honor the sacrifices of America's honored dead.
One of those paying tribute will be Neal Dillon, who buried his youngest son, Cpl. Matthew Dillon, three days before Christmas in 2006. Cpl. Dillion, an Aiken native, was killed while serving in Iraq.
"I'll always think about what he stood for, not just his death," Mr. Dillon said.
Nearly 5,000 families have lost someone during the latest military conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Among the casualties are 11 from the Augusta area, three of whom -- Cpl. Dillon, Command Sgt. Maj. Jerry Lee Wilson and Spc. Nathaniel Henry Johnson -- The Augusta Chronicle profiles today.
"We're having them younger and younger fallen or wounded, so we have to back these guys up," Mr. Caruso said.
Reach Stephanie Toone at (706) 823-3215 or stephanie.toone@augustachronicle.com.
OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM
LOCAL SOLDIERS KILLED IN OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM
11
Service members killed from the Augusta area
132
Service members killed from Georgia
4,299
U.S. service members killed
Source: Department of Defense Personnel and Procurement Statistics, as of May 16
OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM
682
U.S. service members killed
15
Service members killed from Georgia
0
Service members killed from the Augusta area
Source: Department of Defense Personnel and Procurement Statistics, as of May 16
MEMORIAL DAY EVENTS
HILLCREST MEMORIAL PARK WEEKEND SERVICE: 9:30 a.m. Saturday , Hillcrest Memorial Park Veterans Monument, 2700 Deans Bridge Road; free ; public welcome to come at 7 a.m. to help place flags on veterans' graves
AIKEN MARINE CORPS LEAGUE MEMORIAL DAY PARADE: Starts 1 p.m. Saturday , Laurens St., Aiken; with the U.S. Army Signal Corps Band and color guard, the U.S. Navy Information Operations Command, the 15th Regimental Signal Brigade and the Warrior Transition Battalion from Fort Gordon
RED, WHITE AND BLUE VETERANS CELEBRATION: 6:30 p.m. Saturday , 640 Ronald Reagan Drive, Evans; with U.S. Army Signal Corps Band, the Augusta Children's Chorale and a fireworks display; with speaker Brigadier General Jeffrey Foley, commanding general U.S. Army Signal Center and Fort Gordon
MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND CONCERT: 7:30 p.m. Saturday , Sacred Heart Cultural Center, 1301 Greene St.; with chorus, instrumentalists, color guard and active and retired members of our armed forces; $10 adults; $5 seniors, students and military; $2 ages 12 and under; (706) 826-4713, www.augustachoralsociety.org
GEORGIA WAR VETERANS NURSING HOME SERVICE: 9 a.m. Monday , Georgia War Veterans Nursing Home, 1101 15th St.; speaker Chief Warrant Officer Andrew Barr of the U.S. Army Signal Center; with the U.S. Army Signal Corps Band and color guard
BELLEVUE MEMORIAL GARDENS CEMETERY OBSERVANCE: 10 a.m. Monday , Wrightsboro Road, 4501 Wrightsboro Road, Grovetown; with the Fort Gordon color guard
CSRA VETERANS MEMORIAL DAY CEREMONY: 11 a.m. Monday , The Monument of All Wars, Broad Street at 4th St.; speaker Colonel John Dewey, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command capability manager for tactical radios; with the Fort Gordon color guard, the Signal Corps Band, the 116th Military Intelligence Brigade and the Navy Information Operations Command
WADE HAMPTON VETERANS PARK MEMORIAL DAY CEREMONY: 11 a.m. Monday , Wade Hampton Veterans Park, Georgia Ave.; speaker Staff Sergeant Craig A. Showers, decorated hero of the War on Terror; conducted by American Legion Post 71; music by the Senior Adult Choir from North Augusta First Baptist Church
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