La Feria Legionnaires Honor Local Veterans

Post Commander Pleased with Turnout

The annual Memorial Day ceremony sponsored by the La Feria American Legion Post #439 drew a crowd of many veterans and their families to the Legion headquarters for the observance.

Post Commander Harlan Lucas was obviously pleased as he welcomed everyone to the Memorial Day Program. After the opening ceremony, Post Commander Harlan Lucas recognized the many veterans, city officials and family members in the attentive audience.

Commander Lucas introduced the Mayor of La Feria, Olga H. Maldonado, who spoke of the sacrifice that veterans had made. She said, “We have gathered here today to honor the memory of these brave men, many of whom made the supreme sacrifice. We must always remember these American heroes and never forget their service to the country.”

Veterans from past and current wars were recognized during the ceremony on the grounds of the American Legion Post #439. Post Commander Lucas gave a very emotional reading of the famous poem “Where Poppies grow in Flanders Field.”

The poem traces back to the veteran soldiers of the First World War, and is regularly read at Memorial Services.

Professional singer Mark Burres sang the Star-Spangled Banner and God Bless the U.S.A.

Edward C. Cornelius, Commander of the charitable veterans society known as the “La Societe des 40 hommes et 8 Chevaus (the 40 and 8 Society) participated in the ceremony. “We do a lot of good work,” he said. He related that the organization takes its name from the way American soldiers, during the First World War, were stacked–40 men and 8 horses in cramped, uncomforable railroad box cars on the way to the front. The American Legion was formed at about the same post-war period and continues to fight for veteran’s rights to this day.

The ceremony ended with the playing of TAPS by Bugler Ignacio Garcia.