Valpo Parks Foundation honors fallen heroes at annual Memorial Day Service

Valparaiso residents and veterans gathered on the gray morning of May 22 to honor fallen U.S. soldiers at Valpo Parks Foundation’s Memorial Day Service.

The event was held on a park patio in front of a gently flowing fountain. Attendees sported an array of outfits, ranging from military uniforms to patriotic red, white, and blue sweaters.

Valparaiso Mayor Jon Costas was one of the primary speakers at the event. Each speaker emphasized the importance of honoring our nation’s fallen service members. Ben Fugate, U.S. veteran and owner of Veterans Claim Alliance, shared his experience during the service about how he remembers some friends he fought alongside on this day.

“I served 10 years in the military,” Fugate said. “I lost three guys with a platoon in Iraq. Memorial Day to me is not just the day of remembering, but of never forgetting. It’s about saying their names, putting into context what the cost of freedom is; the cost of people’s lives.”

The losses Fugate had seen in combat continue to weigh heavily on his heart; these are people he had joked around with and gotten to know, and he believes that events like Valpo Parks Foundation’s Memorial Day Service continue to remember the fallen as individual Americans who have sacrificed.

“Everyone hears about the soldiers losing their lives, so on and so forth, giving the ultimate sacrifice, but when you put a name to it, it has a little more weight,” Fugate said.

The Valpo Parks Foundation has hosted this event for over 20 years, supplying a service for all comers to listen to speakers and pay respects as the names of fallen veterans are called out by former servicemen from Valparaiso.

Wreaths were laid down by Costas and many Valparaiso residents at the monument at Foundation Meadows Park to fallen soldiers, while a trumpet player brassed out “Taps” in the background. These flower-decorated wreaths honor veterans through visual symbolism; the flowers represent the brief fragility of life, as well as what can bloom after it.

Costas participated in much of the service’s presentation, echoing the message that Fugate previously delivered.

“It’s a special day today, because this year we’re remembering our country’s 250th birthday, and of course, that wouldn’t be possible without the many men and women giving their lives in order to purchase that freedom for future generations. So that’s why we, as the future generations, need to stand up and take time to remember those great sacrifices of those service members and their families,” Costas said.

Costas spent time telling the stories of different service members he’s known and how their service specifically affected them, detailing the sacrifices these veterans have made.

“We all have family members and friends who have served, and some served in very difficult situations,” Costas said. “I have a friend who has night terrors of serving back in Vietnam. I think what this does is it helps them recognize that they are loved and appreciated, and that what they did was very important. It’s very much appreciated by those of us, even many years later.”

Valpo Parks Foundation’s Memorial Day Service had a very clear mission: remind residents of the sacrifices that our veterans and current military personnel have made so that we can live our best lives. The service drummed up gratitude from civilians and veterans alike, with guest speakers emphasizing the importance of remembering fallen soldiers as individuals who gave their lives for the betterment of our country.

There is no greater sacrifice a person can make than their future, and Valpo Parks Foundation’s Memorial Day Service reminded the city of who sacrificed their future for ours.

For more information on the Valpo Parks Foundation, you can visit valpoparksfoundation.org.