City leaders and citizens gathered at the War Memorial on South Main Street yesterday to hold a service in observance of Memorial Day.

Mount Airy Commissioner Teresa Lewis was the main speaker at the 11 a.m. service, and she spoke about her experiences as a child growing up with a father in the military. Her father was stationed in Pakistan when she was 5 years old, and Lewis remembers living in what was a war zone at the time.

“It was very frightening,” she told the crowd. “That was my first taste of the horror of war.”

She also recalled when her family was stationed in England and they found out about the death of her father’s nephew, James F. Turney of Pilot Mountain, who was killed in Vietnam. His name is a part of the War Memorial that Lewis was standing in front of.

“Words just seem inadequate today to express our thanks for these individuals,” Lewis remarked.

After reading a quote from Abraham Lincoln, Lewis said, “From the Revolutionary War to Operation Iraqi Freedom, men and women have paid the ultimate sacrifice for us. We honor them today.”

She then read a poem about the veteran being the one who has given Americans freedom of speech, religion, and more. Lewis closed her remarks by saying, “I thank you for this honor today. God bless you, and God bless America.”

Lewis’ father, Monroe Donathan, was present for the service. He said, “I thought the event was excellent.”

He went on to compliment his daughter, and he noted somberly that most of the World War II veterans are no longer here to attend Memorial Day observances.

Of the service, Donathan said, “It means a great deal. No matter what branch of service you were in, a veteran is a veteran, and they all sacrificed in one way or another.”

In addition to Lewis, several other people participated in the service. The event began at 11 a.m. with a call to order by Mayor Pro Tem Todd Harris, who was filling in for Mayor Deborah Cochran. After Harris opened the service, the city Honor Guard presented the colors, followed by Elizabeth Martin singing the National Anthem. The Honor Guard then posted the colors, and Lewis delivered an invocation.

Harris read a proclamation from the mayor regarding Memorial Day before Lewis delivered her speech. The Honor Guard then placed a wreath at the War Memorial, and Martin performed “God Bless America” while the crowd sang along. Members of American Legion H.G. Post 123 and Marine Corps League of Surry County Detachment 1322 then gave a rifle volley salute, and the American Legion members played taps. The service concluded with the withdrawal of the colors by the Honor Guard.

After the service, Lewis said, “I thought the turnout was good ... I would like to see more people attending.”

She estimated that perhaps 200 people were in attendance. She said it would be a good idea to have school children take a field trip to attend the service in the future. Elizabeth Martin also noticed that youth were absent. She said that school was still in session, but hopefully next year the schedule would be changed.

Martin’s father, father-in-law and husband are all veterans. She said, “I’m just honored that I can be a part of this service to honor the veterans. That’s special.”

Gary Pruett attended the observance yesterday. He served during the Korean War and said, “I’m very much a patriot.”

He noticed some people in the crowd that had lost loved ones in the war. Pruett said that made the service more real to him.

“It’s really a great thing to honor them,” he said.

Georgia Yeager Eskridge handed out American flags at the service. She said, “You have to have flags for Memorial Day.”

“We have to honor and respect those who died,” Eskridge said.

Memorial Day is a federal holiday observed the last Monday of May each year. It commemorates American soldiers who have died while serving their country. The day was officially named “Memorial Day” in 1967 and was moved to the last Monday in May in 1971, but similar observances took place from many years earlier.

Contact Meghann Evans at mevans@mtairynews.com or 719-1952.