Memorial Day

For most Americans, military service -- and sacrifice -- is a vague and distant abstraction. But there are still some places where it is as real as the kids next door.

Tina Priest struggled a bit in high school. Josh Farris was the quiet one. Cody Stanley was the country boy from nearby Rosanky and Mario Rodriguez was the popular class clown.

The four were pretty typical kids for this small Central Texas town, 45 miles east of Austin. And after high school, each joined a long and respected local tradition of putting on a military uniform.

When Priest, Farris, Stanley and Rodriguez died overseas between 2007 and 2010, the town reeled from the successive blows. The impact was greater and far more enduring than the wildfires that last year threatened to burn Smithville off the map.

The military has always played a prominent role here. Those of a certain age still tell the story of the return of four survivors of the Bataan Death March in World War II. Others remember the deaths in Vietnam, including the Marine whose body was finally brought home in 2003.

And if further reminders were needed, a Vietnam era “Huey” helicopter, parked outside the American Legion Post beside the river, greets visitors arriving from Austin.

“We're a small community, but a damned patriotic community,” said Bunte, whose father fought in Europe in World War II but never spoke of it at home.

“This town has always been like this with its veterans. They are appreciated by us, they come home with honor and their families are taken care of by their neighbors,” he said.

“You see the people who have (been) directly affected all the time. You see them in the grocery store, at the high school games,” he added.

What began as a fairly modest plan to honor the recent casualties quickly grew.

Now, alongside the skateboard park and the recreation center, a memorial park covering three city lots is taking form. Sometime soon, a towering bronze angel will gaze down on local children playing in a splash park beneath a gigantic pecan tree.

“It's been a labor of love. We're getting close to completing our goal. We've raised over $600,000 in cash, labor and in-kind donations,” said the mayor, who took on much of the hard labor, pouring concrete and sinking metal fence poles.

Not by accident, the design requires children and families heading for the water sprays to pass by the memorials and the plaques listing the names of the veterans.

Go here and read the full story. It says more about the true meaning of Memorial Day than I ever could.