Respecting Buried U.S. Military Veterans in La Grande, Oregon

Right across the street from where I live in La Grande, Oregon, there is a huge graveyard called Hill Crest Cemetery. Located on the far side of the cemetery are fifty white gravestone markers with a tall metal flagpole standing right in the middle of them.

These special white gravestone markers represent fifty different honored U.S. military veterans whom are all buried there and have served in either the U.S. Army, the U.S. Marine Corps or the U.S. Navy during World War I or World War II.

I am a U.S. Army veteran myself, after having spent six months trying to accomplish my basic combat training in the U.S. Army from March to September of 2005. Unfortunately, I was not able to complete my training after I accidentally incurred two left pelvic stress fracture injuries and the Army gave me an honorable medical discharge and made me an Army veteran for the rest of my life.

Because I am now a U.S. Army veteran today, I often enjoy walking across the street and visiting the white gravestone markers of the fifty different honored U.S. military veterans whom are buried there. Whenever I visit my fellow buried veteran brothers, I stand before their gravestone markers, take off my hat and stand there in complete silence while remembering them with honor and a very deep and admiring respect.

Whenever I see other people walking around in Hill Crest Cemetery while they are laughing and talking to each other and looking around at the hundreds of other gravestone markers that dot the huge, green landscape, it makes me wonder if they even know what it means to be an American soldier.

Do they even know what it means to wear the uniform of an American soldier or to pick up a weapon and actually fight for freedom and democracy for the United States and for other oppressed people around the world?

Then I look back at the white gravestone markers of my fellow veteran brothers. By staring at those gravestone markers, I can almost sense there thoughts and feelings about being drafted or choosing to enlist in the military to honorable serve the United States during a time of war.

These honored veterans are never forgotten because I notice that some of the gravestone markers have flowers or a small American flag on a stick sitting next to them. The veterans who are buried at Hill Crest Cemetery had lives and families who loved them and have never been forgotten.

However, how many other living veterans today take the time to visit these honored U.S. military veterans who are buried at Hill Crest Cemetery. Am I the only veteran who does it more often then anybody else who currently lives in La Grande? Am I the only living veteran who actually cares about it? Maybe I am the only one and maybe I am not. Who can say for sure?

All I do know from personal experience that being an American soldier and a veteran of the U.S. Army is never easy. Those of us, whom have worn the uniform of an American soldier at any time during our life, should always take the time to visit our local neighborhood cemeteries and pay our respects for the U.S. military veterans whom are buried there today. I pay my respects at least twice a week or more to all of the honored U.S. military veterans whom are buried at Hill Crest Cemetery and I always feel very proud and honored to do it.