Community Corner

Reverend Ritonia: In Her Own Words

The U.S. Marine shares her Memorial Day speech.


Members of the Memorial Day Planning Committee, Mr. White, honored guests, veterans, service men and women, and fellow citizens  it is a privilege to be with you today as we honor and remember with reverence and respect, the brave men and women who freely gave the ultimate sacrifice of their lives upholding the principles of freedom and democracy upon which this great nation were founded.

Because of their willingness to serve as well as those soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, members of the coast guard and national guard who continue to put their lives on the line each day, we stand here today enjoying a way of life that continues to draw people from all around the world to our shores. 

I hate to admit this but as a young girl -- and I image not unlike many young people -- Memorial Day did not have much meaning beyond BBQ’s, a parade and a day off from school. I did not understand the gravity of the day or the meaning of words such as duty, honor and sacrifice.  

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After the parade and before hamburgers and hotdogs on the grill, Memorial Day felt like drudgery day because for many years my sisters and I would accompany my parents to spend the afternoon at two different cemeteries, pulling  weeds, cleaning up debris from winter and placing fresh geraniums on the graves of deceased relatives.   

I thought memorial Day was to remember everyone who died and was only vaguely aware of the tiny American flags that had been placed near the gravestones surrounding our family plots, including that of a relative I had never met. I did not make the connection that those tiny flags marked the graves of fallen heroes until years later when I spent my first Memorial day as a United States Marine 2nd Lieutenant at a ceremony in Quantico, VA, looking at those same little flags and listening to speeches quoting award citations that recalled acts of valor, courage and heroism of Marines and Corpsman from Belleau Wood to Tarawa, Okinawa to The Chosin Reservoir and Vietnam.

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It wasn’t until that day over 30 years ago, as I listened to a lone bugler playing taps that I truly began to understand the importance of the oath I swore to God and country, the oath that all members of the military take to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; to bear true faith and allegiance to the same; to obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice and all it ultimately meant. 

It was a life changing moment and the tears began to flow as I thought about all the Marines buried in that cemetery that had given their lives protecting one another and fighting those who would do harm to all of us and all we hold dear. 

Friends, during World War II, from 1941-1945, over four hundred thousand (405,399) service men and women willingly gave their lives, for something greater than themselves, upholding this oath, forfeiting their hopes, dreams and future, that each one of us here today might experience what the framers of our constitution had in mind for all citizens; health, happiness, prosperity and well-being.

Ordinary people like Marine Corps Sgt Grant Frederick Timmerman gave their lives in extraordinary acts of heroism. On July 8, 1944, Sgt. Timmerman, “exposing himself to the enemy, stood up in the open turret of his tank to warn the infantry to hit the deck because of the muzzle blast of the 75mm gun. A Japanese grenade came hurtling through the air aimed in the direction of the open turret. Sgt Timmerman fearlessly covered the opening with his own body to prevent the grenade from killing his crew and the grenade exploded on his chest, killing him instantly. Although two members of the crew received slight wounds from the grenade, none were killed, all the larger fragments being taken by Sgt Timmerman.” (Link to source) For this he was awarded the highest honor our country could bestow upon him - the Medal of Honor. His was not an isolated story. Referring to the victories in World War II, especially at Iwo Jima, the largest all-Marine battle in history, Admiral Chester Nimitz's ringing characterization of Marines fighting on Iwo Jima was applied to the entire Marine Corps in World War II: "Uncommon valor was a common virtue."

These examples of bravery were demonstrated by all branches of the Armed Forces although I do have a fondness for the Marines. 

To those of you that are here today that survived WWII I am grateful for your service and all you endured for our country.

Friends, we have come to a crossroads in the history of our country however that I believe does not honor the sacrifices these brave service men and women have made to ensure our future nor what the founding fathers of this great nation imagined. While our heroes have fought foreign enemies to ensure our sovereignty, we have allowed domestic enemies like greed, sensationalism, political polarization, personal and political agendas  and unwillingness to make sacrifices or compromise for the common good infiltrate all aspects of our public and private lives. 

Our nation has an unprecedented level of debt, savings continue to be at an all time low, our healthcare system is inadequate, our schools are failing, too many of our citizens are unable to find meaningful employment, especially our returning veterans. We as a nation have required far too little from those who have much and not taken care of those who have given everything.

The men and women we remember today paid for our future with their lives and we have a responsibility to repay that debt in a way that honors their sacrifice and ensures the prosperity of our country and citizens for generations to come.

So how do we do that? Well, we might begin by emulating previous generations like those WWII veterans with us here today. How many of us here are willing to sacrifice from our abundance that others in this great land might have enough?

We can repay our debt to them by shaking off our complacency and challenging our elected leaders to end partisanship and special interest legislation and make hard choices to ensure care for our nations veterans, the members of our military and their families.

Adequate healthcare, including mental health services to assist those men and women suffering from traumatic brain injuries and PTSD, as well as a concerted effort to help identify those veterans and members of the military who are at risk for suicide should be readily available and easily accessible. We can repay our debt to them by providing transferable job skill training opportunities and job placement preference for our veterans when they are discharged.  

We can repay our debt to them by consuming less and saving more. We can repay our debt to them by reaching out to our neighbors and making sure no one is hungry or homeless. We can repay our debt to them by volunteering in our churches, communities, schools and veterans hospitals. We can repay our debt to them by creating safe forums for public discourse based on the principles of dignity and respect rather than allowing mean spirited personal attacks to rule the day. 

Today, this Memorial Day, let us commit ourselves to a future that honors those who have given their lives for this nation, a future that holds the promise of peace and prosperity for generations to come. Let each one us here never forget the freedom we hold so dear comes at a cost and may we always honor and remember those men and women who were and are still willing to pay the price.

Ann Ritonia is the reverend of in Orange.


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