Noxon honors local veterans

Nearly 50 community members gathered for a Memorial Day ceremony at the Noxon park on Monday. The event was led by members of the Cabinet Mountain VFW Post 5556.

Following a welcome by Post Commander Gary Searle and a prayer by chaplain Leo Winburn, the VFW welcomed state Sen. Greg Hinkle as their guest speaker. "When we think of Memorial Day, I look back on things like the beaches of Normandy and the jungles of Vietnam," said Hinkle, whose father was a World War II veteran. "A lot of men knew they weren't coming home." Hinkle went on to talk about the founding fathers "A lot of young men and women serve this country because of what they did." Hinkle then read portions of the Montana constitution. "I have a tremendous amount of respect for the men and women who gave their lives and who have sacrificed to protect the constitution," Hinkle said.

Community members then spoke of veterans who died in service. Colleen Hinds of Heron read from the book "To the Sound of the Guns." The death of her brother, PFC Steven John Hinds, is described in the book. Her brother was killed in Vietnam in 1968 while helping to save a wounded team leader. "The man he saved named his first-born son Steven," Hinds said. She noted that her program was posthumously awarded the bronze star and purple heart medals.

The VFW performed the ceremony of two bells, a Navy tradition in which the names of each service member buried in the Noxon and Heron cemeteries was read, followed by two bell tolls. Bob Abel read the names of the 78 veterans buried in the Noxon cemetery and Searle read the names of the 67 service members buried in the Heron cemetery. "Noxon has a strong, proud heritage of military service in its families," Abel said as he read the names, many from the same families.

The VFW members then raised the flags of the U.S., Montana and VFW before leading the community in the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by the playing of Taps. The Noxon Senior Center provided refreshments after the ceremony.