The men and women who come to mourn the nation’s war dead on Memorial Day are dying.

Tuesday, May 30, 2000

The men and women who come to mourn the nation’s war dead on Memorial Day are dying.

The numbers are thinning out.

That’s because the veterans who fought World War II are dying at a far greater rate than they did on the battlefield.

According to the Veterans Administration, 563,000 veterans died in 1999, or 1,500 per day.

Richard "Dick" Gleason was one of them.

Gleason parachuted into Normandy on D-Day, June 6, 1944, in the epochal battle of World War II. He was twice wounded and earned four Bronze Star awards in combat before he was honorably discharged.

On Memorial Day 2000, the veteran was missing in action at the flag-raisings, parade and cemetery salutes to his fallen comrades.

Gleason, who died this spring at the age of 77, was one of the veterans buried at Fort Snelling in Minneapolis who was honored Memorial Day.

In Austin, flag-raisings greeted the day before a parade through the heart of the downtown area and then the poignant ceremonies at Oakwood Cemetery.

With Brian Koser directing the Austin High School band, representatives of local veterans organizations and service clubs each dedicated wreaths to deceased veterans.

The Rev. Dan Kahl, associate pastor at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Austin, gave the invocation.

"We thank you for precious memories," Kahl said. "We thank you for our heritage of honor and justice and mercy. We thank you that death does not have the last word. We remember today those who sacrificed their lives so that we might live in freedom.

"But we know that just living is not enough and freedom means more than doing whatever we want.

"Our lives have meaning beyond our selfish desires and we are set free so that we can live lives of honor and justice and mercy," Kahl prayed at the Soldier’s Memorial in Oakwood Cemetery Monday.

Then, American Legion Post No. 91 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 1216 Honor Guards went to Horace Austin Park to honor veterans killed at sea. Sally Drake and Martha Campbell threw a wreath into the Cedar River, while the Honor Guards rendered a gun salute and AHS trumpeters blew "Taps."

Then, the Legion and VFW Honor Guards went to area cemeteries for ceremonies.

Remembering in Stacyville

In Stacyville, Iowa, Maurine Jackson was smiling.

"It sounds beautiful," she said.

Jackson, 86, was sitting in her daughter’s car. She no longer is able to stand for any length of time. They were parked next to the cemetery fence at Union Presbyterian Church in the countryside beyond Stacyville.

The historic church bell tolled at the conclusion of Monday’s Memorial Day services on the church grounds.

‘I’m very happy to see what is being done here," said Jackson, the great-great-granddaughter of the founder of the church.

She was instrumental in having the country church placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977, when she was the church historian.

Ill health forced her to give up the job, but Don and Dona Ziegler of Lyle have taken over with a new zest for historical preservation.

All weekend long, the Zieglers hosted an open house for visitors to the church, celebrating the 125th anniversary of the house of worship.

"There was no one here on Sunday," Mrs. Ziegler lamented.

On Monday, two dozen people showed up to tour the church, enjoy refreshments and fellowship and participate in the Memorial Day ceremonies to follow.

Greg Krebsbach, a dairy farmer who lives nearby, repaired the belfry and rope and had the honor of ringing the bell on Memorial Day.

Among the guests were Lory and Phyllis Palmer of St. Louis Park, their daughter, Lorianne Palmer of Terrell, Texas, and David Palmer, Brooklyn Park, a brother of Lory. Lory and David are "sons of the church," their parents and grandparents once attended and helped organize.

Lorianne Palmer has been helping with the fund raising to repair the roof and paint the church. She reported enough money has been raised to accomplish those tasks this summer.

"The church was a social center for the farming community 125 years ago," Lorianne said. "The church’s history is part of the farming and community’s history."

Walt Adams, commander of Stacyville American Legion Post No. 569, led the honor guard to Memorial Day observances at Riverside Park in Stacyville and seven cemeteries.

Union Presbyterian Church’s cemetery was the last to be visited.

The firing squad rendered a gun salute after Adams gave a patriotic reading and the Post Auxiliary led the small crowd of spectators in singing patriotic songs.

When the service was concluded, Adams told the crowd: "We’ll be back next year."