May 28, 2007 — In a display of military precision, Memorial Day ceremonies started promptly at 9:30 a.m. with a procession from Bassin Triangle to Christiansted Cemetery.
American Legion members Cmdr. Amos L. Sealy and Chaplin Bertram Charles from Myron G. Danielson Post No. 85 officiated at the cemetery. “Taps” was played and a wreath symbolizing Decoration Day was placed graveside.
"Sergeant at Arms you will deposit upon the grave of our comrade the wreath as a token of our enduring memory,” Sealy said. “These flowers may wither, but the spirit of which they are a symbol will endure until the end of time."
A special graveside tribute was made to Lt. Col. David C. Canegata III, a soldier who recently fell in Iraq. After the ceremony came a military parade through Christiansted, with numerous people observing from rooftops and porches along the way.
The parade ended at Christiansted harbor with a commemoration for soldiers who died at sea. Gov. John P. deJongh Jr. ceremoniously tossed a wreath into the harbor as Kevre' Hendricks of the 73rd Army Band played “Taps.”
The ceremony continued at the bandstand on the green, where Chaplin Charles Vallarde from American Legion District No. 10 offered the invocation. Rita Vallarde, president of the women's auxiliary unit No. 85, led the Pledge of Allegiance.
A flag placed on a vacant chair represented the memory of the thousands of POWs and MIAs still unaccounted for.
Sealy welcomed the small crowd in attendance: "I will make the program short, because the sun is hot and we don't want anyone to fall out.”
Adj. Gen. Renaldo Rivera also addressed the crowd. "On this day of remembrance we remember, honor and give thanks to the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom,” he said. “Today we say thanks."
The keynote address, given by U.S. Coast Guard Reserve Lt. Cmdr. Catherine Prince, included a brief history of Decoration Day, later renamed Memorial Day. DeJongh gave the closing remarks
"I am truly honored to say thank you to fallen soldiers and to have this chance to remember all our heroes,” the governor said. “We owe them the debt of gratitude. We understand the pain and sacrifice their families have made. The Virgin Islands are a very grateful community."
DeJongh closed with the last sentences of Abraham Lincoln's second inaugural address, which include, “With malice toward none, with charity for all.”
The ceremony also included the reading of a roll call of 30 veterans who died since Memorial Day 2006. “Taps” was played for the last time.
Participants include the V.I. National Guard, Myron G. Danielson American Legion Post 85, the Air National Guard and the Junior ROTC from Educational Complex. Also participating were nine members of the St. Croix Educational Complex Drum Corp, led by the 73rd Army Band director, Valrica Bryson.
"It is important to see that every military holiday is taken very seriously and to pay the highest respects possible,” said veteran John C. Canegata, brother of David Canegata III. “I am glad they honored the fallen soldiers today."
A couple of veterans in the crowd who asked not to be identified said they were dismayed to see so few civilians at the observance.
Delegate Donna M. Christensen said in a news release that she extended her best wishes for Memorial Day to the families of all military persons who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country while in uniform.
"The sacrifice of our men and women in uniform continues to serve as a testament to their bravery and their commitment to duty and justice in today's world," Christensen said, according to the news release. She also noted work the 110th Congress has done to support veterans.
That support includes $3.4 billion over funding levels this year for Veterans Affairs, $550 million for maintenance and $290 for minor construction of Veteran Administration hospitals, $100 million for enhanced mental-health care, $30 million for enhanced screening for traumatic brain injury, $228.9 million for medical services for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, $82 million to process disability claims and $6.7 million over the next fiscal-year budget level for VA discretionary spending, according to the news release.
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