This past weekend, Pauline and I did what many other Americans do on or prior to Memorial Day.
We went to the cemetery.
For us, the cemetery is in a small Midwestern town where we both grew up, and which is how we know Ari Noonan.
I was a friend of his late brother, and Pauline is a friend of one of his sisters.
This time, our visit to Forest Hills Cemetery proved to be very interesting.
After checking and watering the flowers on Pauline’s family plot and checking my family’s site, she asked to go over to her grandparents’ grave, which we did.
Pauline’s great-uncle was in World War I, and he was killed in action, in Belgium. He is buried in France.
However, there is a gravestone located on her grandparents’ plot. She was telling me how upset her mother would get visiting the site at Memorial Day, due to the fact that his stone never had a flag.
Just as in many cities around the country, the Boy Scouts place flags on the tombstones of those who served in the military.
Problem About to be Solved
I noticed that in the next section there was a man placing flags on various graves.
I went over and asked him for a flag, which he immediately gave me.
I told him who the flag was for and the above story.
He knew all about Sgt. Paul Schnell and his story, as he was a Past Commander of the American Legion Post in our hometown that is named after him.
The gentleman’s name was Chuck Morris. He went on to tell me that he had on display at the Post the death notice provided for Paul by the military.
If we were interested, he said he would show it to us. I immediately took him up on his offer and said we would be at the Legion within the hour.
It was truly fitting to see this piece of history and to learn that Sgt. Schnell is still being honored.
Chuck also told us that the Legion sent flowers to France last year, to be placed on his grave, in recognition of the 70th anniversary of his death.
This made our Memorial Day.
No matter what our position is on war and the wars being fought today, we should always support our troops and thank everyone in the military for their service to our country and the freedoms we enjoy — due to their brave efforts.
God Bless America, and our servicemen and women.
