Service promotes patriotism

Alexis Milliken, 6, didn’t need to look at the words.

“I already know this one,” Milliken said before bursting into “America the Beautiful” with more than 200 other people gathered at Fairmount Memorial Cemetery for the Memorial Day service.

“O beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain, for purple mountain majesties, above the fruited plain.”

Monday was the first time the Milliken family had ever attended the annual service. They usually come to place flowers on the grave of Alexis Milliken’s grandfather, William Schwalber, a U.S. Army veteran who served in Vietnam. But they had never joined others to pay respects to all those men and women who died to secure America’s freedom.

Yet they came this time because Alexis’ brother, Robbie Milliken, 9, is in the Lilac City Young Marines and helped put on the service.

Their mother, Billie Milliken, couldn’t believe all they had been missing.

“It’s only fitting that we did come,” Milliken said. “It’s an experience.”

The Millikens, like the other people who strained to hear the speakers over the American flags popping in the wind, heard the repeated message that you must remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice, especially when the United States is at war.

“If you value freedom, justice and liberty and if we love our homes we must prove our beliefs and patriotism in these days of trial,” Doug Shurtleff of the Marine Corps League told the crowd.

Col. Anthony Mauer, Fairchild Air Force Base’s 92nd Air Refueling Wing commander, told the audience, many of whom were in military uniforms, that America has no choice but to fight the global network of terrorists who despise everything this country stands for. In this war America is a liberator, not a conqueror, he said.

“It must be done,” Mauer said, adding that the terrorists’ goal is to have massive civilian casualties.

He asked that people take the time to honor those who have sacrificed for freedom and to remember the American military is waging a fight for democratic values and our way of life.

“On behalf of a grateful nation we salute them and pledge we will never forget the sacrifices they have made,” Mauer said.

After Mauer’s speech, many people in the crowd hummed along with the songs of the armed services. Alexis Milliken picked at her sparkly silver fingernail polish as she hummed and danced in place.

She jumped when the WANG Honor Guard fired three shots, which were followed by Tech. Sgt. William Berry of the Air National Guard Band of the Northwest playing taps on his horn.

Then the opening notes of “America the Beautiful” crackled from the speakers sitting on top of the memorial to all the men and women who have died in all the wars. Alexis Milliken sang.

“America. America. God shed his grace on thee and crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea.”