On Memorial Day, Chester honors veterans who ‘gave their last breath’

About 100 people gathered in downtown Chester on Monday to honor United States military veterans who have served, sacrificed and died in more than 100 years of armed conflict.

Retired U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Charlton Blanks, a Vietnam veteran, recalled to a crowd at the War Memorial Building in downtown Chester the veterans who have died in decades of action, from the trenches of World War I to recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“They no longer hear the screams of their wounded and dying comrades,” Blanks said. And the cockpits of planes and the decks of ships in which they served “long ago rusted away.”

Blanks cautioned: “I am afraid that too many Americans think that Memorial Day has just become another three-day weekend from work.

“We need to remember that the freedoms we enjoy have been bought for and paid for by the blood of those we honor today,” he said. “They gave their last breath so that we might have the liberty that has been denied to so many people around the world.

“Let us take a few moments today to remember just how different our lives would be without their sacrifice,” Blanks concluded.

During the ceremony, war monuments honoring deceased veterans were unveiled and local veterans placed wreaths on the monuments.

Several city, county and state-level dignitaries also gave remarks, thanking the gathered veterans and their families for their service and sacrifice.

This story was originally published May 30, 2016 at 1:22 PM with the headline "On Memorial Day, Chester honors veterans who ‘gave their last breath’."