EDITOR’S NOTE: The comments made by American Legion Post 56 Adjutant John McGarr during this community’s annual Memorial Day ceremony struck remarkably close to home for many of those who attended, and seemed well-worth conveying to a wider audience than was present at the Edith Ford Cemetery on May 25. We are posting them here for those who were unable to attend in the hope that his message is read, contemplated, and shared with others. A transcription of the Declaration of Independence is available online in the National Archives.

First, thank you for attending today’s ceremony, and thank you to all the volunteers who placed flags on the graves of veterans buried in Hemphill County. Before I begin my formal comments–and with your permission–I want to mention two upcoming events that are veteran-related:

• The Bridge of Honor sponsored by the River Valley Pioneer Museum is now accepting sponsorship orders for the flags to be flown on the bridge. 

• The Toppy Clark Headstone Dedication will be held on June 20, 2026 at 10:00 am. As you remember, Mr. Clark was born a slave in Louisiana, became a Buffalo Soldier after the Civil War, and lived out the rest of his life in Canadian. His original headstone lacked any mention of his military service. Canadian’s Legion Post 56 has rectified that oversight with an additional headstone. More details will be made available soon on The Canadian Record website.

This is a special year in our nation’s history marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence from the English crown. Its publication was the easy part: it took over seven years of war to make that paper a reality. I mention this because the men and women who are buried here gave part—or in some cases—all of their lives in support and defense of that document. The Declaration laid out the basic foundation of our nation: life, liberty, pursuit of happiness—rights that come from God, not governments. Men are created equal under the law, among others.

But as good as it was, it wasn’t enough. The form of our national government changed, and with it, a Constitution was written that provided the bricks to be used on the Declaration’s foundation to build a new type of government. Good as these documents are, they are not perfect, and have been abused from time to time. They have been the subject of heated and even deadly conflict many times. It seems to me that now is one of those times of conflict. 

Enough of the history lesson: what do you see before you that is the symbol of this country? Yes, the national flag: bright colors, strong, many different pieces sewn together making one strong standard…one nation, under God, united.

But as I read the news and listen to various commentators and talk to people, this is what I see: a flag that is torn and worn and weakened. In the First Amendment to the Constitution, I read about freedom of religion and then hear about anti-semitic attacks. I read about freedom of speech and then hear about speakers being threatened and canceled by their opponents. I read about freedom of assembly and then hear about meetings being disrupted by mobs of protestors. There are groups today whose only goal is to destroy this nation and to rebuild it in their own image.

Is this the America these veterans wanted to defend? Is this the America that the men behind me signed up to defend? 

In a word…..no.

The First Amendment was written to protect the people from government abuse. I get it. But the acts that I describe are Americans doing those very same acts to each other. Life-long friendships are broken over an election. Christmas gatherings rival the Korean Demilitarised Zone (DMZ). Attacks over religious beliefs or lack of beliefs. Strained silence because we can’t talk about “that” honestly. Death wished upon others.

So. I’ve described the problem as I see it: Our flag is in need of serious repair.

I know that this type of environment has existed in this country before. Sadly, I have no easy answers, and I know that the government doesn’t have any easy answers either. It is up to each one of us if this tragedy is to be avoided.

I do have some hard answers for me: listen respectfully, respond logically, and accept that disagreements aren’t social death sentences. You have to figure out your own answers. I think that our veterans would want that.

FLAG PHOTO PROVIDED BY JOHN McGARR

HONOR GUARD PHOTO: David Parnell, Warren Rivers, Bradley Baker, Albert Godino, Post Commander Jason Bradford and Matthew Huff