Hundreds in Franklin honor fallen heroes
FRANKLIN, Ind. (WISH) — On Memorial Day, we honor and remember the lives of service members who gave the ultimate sacrifice.
On Monday, hundreds of people across central Indiana took time to do just that.
In Franklin, more than 100 crosses represented the lives of people with Johnson County ties who gave the ultimate sacrifice.
“I lost a brother in World War II and I lost a grandson in Iraq.” said Stanley Lucas, an Air Force veteran, who was among people gathering for a Memorial Day event in Franklin.
Lucas’s grandson was a 20-year-old Marine when he died in 2006. Lucas brother, Glancy was 19 when he died. Lucas showed us the cross that bears his brother’s name.
“There’s nothing like losing a child. I was only in the sixth grade when I lost my brother. And, my mother never did get over it, you know? But anyway, we did it to make America free,” Lucas said.
Lucas spent 40 years serving our country in the Air Force. That’s why he joined hundreds of other people in downtown Franklin on Monday to honor and remember our greatest heroes.
“Thanks to their heroism, we have our freedom,” U.S. Sen. Todd Young, a Republican serving Indiana said at Monday’s event. “We have our strong democracy.”
“I feel all kinds of emotions,” said Carolyn Cook of Franklin. She who has several military family members. “Of course you feel sad. I feel everything, very proud. It just means a lot.”
Especially to David Denslaw of Franklin. He served in the Vietnam War in the early 1970s. He lost a number of friends from college and high school.
“I think of all of them every Memorial Day and try to pay tribute to them,” Denslaw said. “Remembering the many years that I’ve had, that I’ve been blessed, that they did not have the opportunity to enjoy themselves.”
Lucas said he today’s younger generation understands.
“It’s for freedom,” Lucas said. “They’ve got to realize that. It’s up to us to try to make them realize it.”
On Monday, around 200 people got papier-mâché poppies. The message: Always Remember.