The Third Arrow Chapter, MSSDAR, the Carroll Academy Student Council, sponsored as the Douglas Carroll Junior American Citizens and the Michael H. Ball VFW Post 12191, held the annual Memorial Day Service on the lawn of the Carroll County Courthouse in Carrollton. American flags, flag lapel pins and “Buddy Poppies” were handed out to all in attendance by Carroll Academy students, Landon Turner, Baylor Jackson, Levi Shaw and Jack Grones.
This year’s memorial service was in honor of Robert Patterson. Patterson was a Major Provost in the Berlin War. Liz Wilson told the crowd that Patterson attended every single Memorial Day service, never missing one. Patterson’s great-grandson Layton Alderman delivered a prayer in honor on his great grandfather.
The ceremony was also in honor of Michael Henry Ball. President of the Carrollton, Michael H. Ball, VFW, Sugar Mullins said Ball was 19 when he was killed in Vietnam. Mullins said Ball went to college, but chose to serve in the US Army. He said when people asked Ball why he wanted to serve, Mullins said Ball told them he wanted to serve his country and he was patriotic.
Wilson also told the meaning of Memorial Day. According to History.com, “Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971. Many Americans observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings and participating in parades. Unofficially, it marks the beginning of the summer season.”
She told the group that a former observance had been held in Columbus, Mississippi, on April 25, 1866, when ladies met to place flowers on the graves of soldiers who had fallen in the Battle of Shiloh. In 1971 Memorial Day was established as a National Holiday by Congress to be held on the last Monday in May and was expanded to honor those who have died in all American wars. In 2000 Congress established “The National Moment of Remembrance” to encourage all Americans to stop and pause at 3 p.m. on Memorial Day for a moment of prayer to remember and honor those who have died in service to the nation.
She said she and students went the CA Student Council went to Evergreen Cemetery to place flags on the graves of those who have served. She urged those in the audience to let a member of the DAR know if someone has served, but they don’t have a marker on their grave.
“Please let us know. We want to honor all of those who have served,” Wilson said. “I found the Spanish-American solider in the cemetery told. My daughter [Teresa Vanlandingham] looked on find a grave and got the location.”
She said he was a Talbert and his granddaughter married and became a Spellman. She said they also honored the burials of Senator J.Z. George and Senator Hernando DeSoto Money.
“Unfortunately for the students, they got a history lesson from me,” she said.
Wilson said there were some graves that had no markings on them at all. She said the goal to honor all of the veterans who have gone on. She told the crowd if there are any veterans’ graves that are not marked for family members or friends to contact either Mayor Ken Strachan of North Carrollton or the Michael Ball VFW Post for information on obtaining a Veteran’s Marker for the grave so that in the future no veteran will be overlooked on Memorial Day.
