Memorial Day Recognition
Oak Park and River Forest High School
May 17th, 2016
Due to inclement weather the Memorial Day Assembly was cancelled. However, Oak Park and River
Forest High School still honors this special day. Please find the important words and recognitions to
honor in memory of our fallen soldiers below.
Lt. Col. Matthew Yandura is a community member and neighbor of Izzy Picciotti, He has not only
served for 20 years, but is a Professor of Military Science at Loyola University. He lives in the
community with his wife, Mary Yandura who is an Army Veteran and paratrooper of the 82nd
Airborne division as well as their 2 year old son Lukas. He writes on the purpose of Memorial Day:
Why We Observe Memorial Day
On May 11, 1950, Congress jointly resolved that the President should issue a proclamation calling
on the American people to Observe Memorial Day as a day of prayer for permanent peace and
designate a period on that day for our Citizens to unite in prayer. The designated time for such an
observation is 3:00pm local time. At that specific moment, each American is encouraged to observe,
in accordance with their own conscience, a moment of remembrance.
This information however, does not capture the pre-history of Memorial Day which dates back to
the Civil War. It also does not satisfy the inquisitive mind of those wondering why Memorial Day is
worthy of observance or provide motivation for Americans to do so, particularly those who share
no meaningful connection to its Armed Forces or what Uniformed Service to the Nation means.
In exploring these subjects, one must consider the conditions American military women and men
endure in war as offered in this fitting passage from General George C. Marshall, General of the
Army and Air Force from 1939-1946. Referring to the troops who fought in WW II, Marshall said:
“…but of all of these efforts yours by far are the greatest. You faced death and swallowed fear,
endured the agonies of battle and of hearts torn by loneliness and homesickness and starvation for
the normal life you loved. Yet you took it—all there was to take on the battlefronts of the world.
And you had the strength and will to give it back, give back more than your enemies could take…”
The freedom and the rights Americans now enjoy was paid for, in part, by the sacrifice of those who,
during times of National and international conflict, served a cause greater than themselves. Among
those who made such a sacrifice were our Servicewomen and men.
Battle and post-battle death statistics from the US Department of Veteran’s affairs are a somber
coda to a melancholy song: from 1775-1991, approximately 1.18 million Americans lost their lives
due to combat and non-combat related deaths. Of these, 651,031 were battle deaths.
Scripture points to a possible explanation and motivation for such personal sacrifice: “Greater love
has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends.”
Why they died, all 1.18 million of them, is reason enough to observe Memorial Day: to honor the
love they shared for one another; for the love they held for the families left behind; for the love they
had for America; and for the love they paid forward to a Generation they never knew.
May your Memorial Day find you in thoughtful contemplation of the cost of war and the price of
freedom.
Faculty and Staff Member Veterans to thank and empathize with:
Kevin McCarron
Officer in the United States Coast Guard served on two Coast Guard Cutters in the Great
Lakes, Alaska and the Pacific.
Byars, Michael B
I joined the USAF at the age of 17, served 5 years as a Military Police Officer, and was
medically discharged as a Disabled American Vet. I'm proud to say I serve our country.
Nathaniel L. Rouse
Kisha Williamson
Anthony Clark
Brian Reilly
Ricky Baker
Served In the Illinois Army National Guard. MOS- 11 Bravo. Basic and Advanced Training at
Fort Benning, Georgia. Highest Rank: Sergeant
I was a hospital corpsman in the US Navy .My proudest accomplishment was assisting in cleft
palate surgeries on the Naval ship The Mercy in 2012
Anthony served 6 years active duty in the United States Air Force as a Crew Chief and honor
guard member. Received an honorable discharge in 2009.
Served proudly in the U.S. Army, 1975 through 1979, in Hanau, West Germany, Grand Prairie,
Texas and Glenview, Illinois.
Embassy Duty, Military Police at San Miguel Naval Station, Philippines United States Marine
Corp
OPRFHS Friends/Family who remember fallen soldiers with us:
Wayne Miyata, family friend of Sarah Sugimoto
Mr. Miyata has been in the Army and Army National Guard for over 26 years. He first joined after his
junior year at Western Illinois University. After basic training and t Advanced Infantry training he
went Scholfield Barracks, Hawaii where he joined the 1/14th Infantry Battalion of the 25th Infantry
Division "Tropical Lightning." He served as a Radio Telephone Operator, maintaining communications
for his squad. Later he moved to the Operations and Training office for 3 years. There, he trained on
the Big Island of Hawaii at the same location NASA trained their Moon Astronauts. He then returned
to Western Illinois University to finish his degree. He joined an Army National Guard Artillery Unit in
Macomb, Illinois where he served as their office and mail clerk. He returned to Hawaii to work, live
and joined the Army National Guards 117th Public Affairs Detachment. He was a Photo and Video
Journalist for the unit. They were deployed to many military exercises including training on the Big
Island of Hawaii, Camp Shelby, Mississippi, Thailand, Korea, Panama, and Guatemala as well as to
assist with natural disasters. In 1995 he moved to Alabama where he worked for the Multi Media
Branch of the Army National Guard mainly working on Aviation Safety Videos. He got a full time
civilian job in Virginia to film and edit training videos for all the airports. He joined the Maryland
Army National Guard part time where he worked in their Public Affairs Unit in charge of running the
video department. After 26 years of service, he decided to retire in the rank of Sergeant First
Class. His brother is now a Command Sergent Major in the Army Reserves in Hawaii and his son is
a Military Police Sergeant at Ft. Louis, Washington.He now live in Naperville with his girlfriend who
he first met at Western Illinois University and currently works at Trader Joe's.
Traci & CDR Melcher,
Traci Melcher was born and raised in Springfield Massachusetts. She is a graduate of the University of
Massachusetts at Amherst and holds a Masters degree in Political/Military affairs from Georgetown
University. Commander Melcher is now a student in Culinary Arts at Le Cordon Bleu. She plans to use
her skills to benefit children’s charities. She is married to Captain Chuck Melcher, USN (retired), they
have four children, Jack, Andrew, Grace and Charlotte.
CDR Melcher was commissioned in 1985. She served in a variety of sea and shore assignments
including: Flag Lieutenant to Commander In Chief - Pacific; CNO Staff as the Aviation Survivability
Requirements Officer, responsible for all equipment programs and systems related to flight personnel;
U.S. Joint Forces Command as Head of the Aviation Joint Working Group, responsible for the
requirements and deployment of all DoD avaition assets to CENTCOM during the Iraq/Afghanistan
conflicts and Commanding Officer of Helicopter Combat Support Squadron Six.
In 2007 CDR Melcher retired from Naval Service. Following retirement she was a substitute teacher
and coach at Saint Patrick’s Catholic School, COO for the Norfolk United Soccer Club, and assisted in
Development at St Patrick’s and The Virginia Stage Company, chairing the annual gala and raising
over $50,000.
Senior Jack McMullen’s essay entitled: “Bravery.”
I know I’ve probably lost half of the audience’s attention already, as they are switching their
focus to their iPhones. What wonderful things those are, huh? Smartphones that have the answer to
any question and every command? Being an eighteen year old kid as well, I take its word as law just as
much as anyone. But, as I was thinking about how I was going to write this essay, I noticed a flaw.
Siri is a very nice lady, don’t get me wrong. She may not hear me quite right half of the time
I’m talking to her, but she never fails to supply me with information. But here was Siri’s definition of
the word bravery: (n.) Courageous behavior or character. OK. Fair enough, right? No. A definition as
simple as that does this seven letter word nowhere near enough justice. I’ll tell you what bravery is.
Bravery is joining a company that was founded in 1775. Bravery is wondering when you will
have to pickup and leave everything behind, and for how long. Bravery is kissing your husband or wife,
son or daughter, mother or father, and not knowing whether that will be the last time or not. Bravery
is putting your life on the line for people that you have never met, and will never meet.
It’s putting your signature on the dashed line, throwing yourself into the fire that you strive to
extinguish. It’s watching your best friend walk into war with you, side by side, maybe to never walk
back out. It’s telling your story for years following, knowing that it will, someday, touch the right
person. You want to know what bravery is? Bravery is our past, present, and future military.
The men and women that serve our country are true testaments to my definition of bravery.
Far too often is our military taken for granted in this country today, and that ends now. Shake the
hands of the men and women that fight for you whenever you may see them, whether it be as you’re
running through the airport to catch your flight, or enjoying a nice day in the Windy City.
If you have a loved one who served our nation, give them a call to tell them you love them. Even if you
might not think it makes a difference, those two minutes you spend on the phone with them will make
their day. Our veterans have experienced so much more than we know, and they have the right to be
honored 365 days a year, not just one.
I tried to avoid the use of cliché sayings in my speech, but I can’t refrain from reiterating that
not all heroes wear capes. There are more than one million American heroes currently fighting for our
freedom, along with the millions who have served and the coming generation who will. As you carry
out the rest of your day today, just remember two things: Siri is not always right, and our country is
blessed to have so many people who embody the true characteristics of bravery.