NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) -A trio of women dressed in World War II era clothing sang the Star-Spangled Banner as dozens looked on inside the National World War II Museum. It was the start of the annual Memorial Day ceremony.
“During World War II alone, 414,920 American service members and merchant mariners did not return home to their families,” said Stephen Watson, president and CEO of the World War II Museum.
Terry Savage was the featured speaker. Her son Specialist Brian “Alex” Vaugh, a medic, was killed in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2005. She recalled when military personnel showed up at her residence.
“You know that your loved one has been killed, but if we don’t let them say it to us, if we don’t let them come in the door, if we don’t let them say, ”On behalf of a grateful nation, we want to thank you for their service, but we regret to inform you that your son Specialist Brian Alex Vaughn was killed in action last night,” Savage said.
The pain of that day remains fresh in her mind.
“I just remember screaming, ‘No, no, no,’ and as I got to know other Gold Star families, we all had the same reaction. It’s ‘No, no, you got the wrong family,’” Savage said from the podium.
A so-called “Missing Man” table ceremony honored POWs and military personnel never recovered.
Looking on from the audience was 103-year-old Ira Milan of Algiers, a World War II vet.
He was a Seabee who served in the construction branch of the U.S. Navy.
“Well, let’s just say that the branch of the Navy I was in, we were in combat zones, but we were never actually in combat. So yes, I did lose some friends,” Milan said.
He readily pointed out when asked about his sentiments that it was 80 years ago.
“I owed it to my country for the service I gave them. I enlisted in the Navy; I wasn’t drafted and I did my job. And that’s about it,” Milan said.
He played in the American Legion Post 377 band for 65 years and returned to the main hall to hear them play following the ceremony.
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