‘They paid the price’: Veterans, Chester residents honor those who served
They packed the lower floor of the Chester County War Memorial building in downtown Chester on Monday for a Memorial Day service.
Men and women veterans and area residents who came to memorialize the fallen soldiers, honored fellow citizens wearing military caps and blazers. They said a prayer for those who had recently died and voiced gratitude for others who also had died in battle.
Recently elected Rep. Randy Ligon, R-Chester, started his day on a bridge overlooking I-77 in Richburg as veterans waved flags at passers-by.
“I’m not doing it for the veterans, the old guys who are driving down the road and wave at you,” Ligon said. “What’s so incredible is to do it for the young people in the back seat — the ones that will put down their cell phones and their computers with all of the waving and the honking of the horns ... because you have to think they are saying ‘what are they doing and why are they doing it?”
All service men and women were honored at the event. Most were Vietnam veterans. Only one was a World War II vet.
Among those honoring the veterans, newly-elected Sheriff Max Dorsey gave a brief nod to those he called “heroes.”
“Unfortunately, society recognizes fame and fortune as a hero,” he said.
Then Dorsey said he is fortunate to work with law enforcement officers and veterans. He pointed to to the names of fallen soldiers, who he called “the real heroes.”
Chester County Supervisor Shane Stuart pointed to the war memorial blocks on the other side of the glass wall with the names of fallen soldiers.
“Those people on those blocks paid the price for us.”
This story was originally published May 27, 2019 at 2:12 PM.
