Lincoln County veterans honored

Many Americans celebrate Memorial Day with an extra long weekend of camping, fishing or family gatherings and barbecues. Others visit cemeteries and place flowers, wreaths or other memorabilia on the graves of America’s fallen veterans.

For Lincoln County Commissioner Mark Peck, Memorial Day is a day to reflect upon those who have sacrificed and continue to sacrifice in the name of freedom.

“Memorial Day should be more of a reflective celebration,” Peck said during the Memorial Day remembrance in Libby’s Riverfront Park. “A celebration of freedom and liberty.”

The ceremony, held at the Veterans Memorial, began with a presentation of the flag by the Veterans of Foreign Wars Color Guard and the singing of the national anthem by Libby’s Galen Graziano,  featured veteran Kenny Mancuso as well as Commissioner Peck and Sen. Chas Vincent. They spoke about the sacrifice and commitment of America’s veterans and the importance of remembering that service, not just on Memorial Day, but always.

Mancuso began with a story of the 23-year military career of Libby veteran Harry Tripp. His speech was intentionally brief, so he could “avoid getting all choked up,” but the brevity was less than successful. He moved the crowd with the story of the Tripp, who served in the second world war and spent more than three years in a prison camp in the Pacific.

Peck read a moving poem entitled “Happy Memorial Day,” by Edwin C. Hofert. The poem told the story of the blood spilled by American soldiers defending freedom and liberty around the world, many of whom would never return to enjoy that which they fought to defend. As the poem drew to a close, the subject turned his wheelchair in the grass of a cemetery and wished a happy Memorial Day to his fallen comrades. The tears were visible on Peck’s cheek as he returned to his seat.

Vincent was the final speaker at the ceremony.

He told the story of a young soldier in the Dragon Valley of Vietnam, reading from a letter sent to him by a man identified simply by his nickname, “Doc.” Doc was part of a company sent into the valley to disrupt enemy supply and troop movements, he was a medic with the company. 

During the mission, snipers ambushed the company as they advanced. The point man was killed by sniper fire and second man was hit, his condition was unknown. The first medic to rush in was also killed by enemy fire.

Doc said he was rushing forward in knee-deep water to check the second man when he turned around to see another man, a man he called Swede, standing on a dike in the rice paddy, fully exposed, providing cover fire so he could reach the wounded man.

Vincent then identified the man known as Swede as his father-in-law, Libby businessman Terry Andreessen, and asked him to stand. He humbly rose from his seat to a standing ovation from the assembled crowd.

“You’re never going to hear that guy tell that story,” Vincent said of Andreessen.

The combination of humility and respect for their brothers and sisters in arms was the theme of Vincent’s remarks. He noted the irony of a man like Doc, who ran through knee-deep mud to reach a fallen comrade, labeling Swede the hero for standing on the dike and providing cover, ignoring the heroism of his own actions. Few of those stories will ever be told in public, he said.

“There are 896 stories just like that surrounding us here today,” Vincent said, referencing the bricks placed around the Veterans Memorial in honor of those who served.

Following Vincent’s remarks, Nik Gier of Libby stepped up in the back of the crowd, brought his trumpet to his lips and ended the ceremony with a moving rendition of taps.