With reverent prayers, stirring music, and heartfelt words, the town of Summerton gathered Monday morning to honor those who gave their lives in service to the United States during a Memorial Day ceremony held at the Presbyterian Fellowship Hall.
Sponsored by American Legion Post #35 and the Pink Dogwood Garden Club, the event was originally scheduled for Pink Dogwood Park but was moved indoors due to weather concerns.
Percy Harvin of Post #35 opened the ceremony by welcoming attendees and thanking the Pink Dogwood Garden Club for their partnership.
“We could not have done this successfully without this fine group of women,” Harvin said. “Their park is almost directly across from my house, and they work real hard to keep it up for us to have these programs.”
Vocalist Chere Funk led the National Anthem and later returned to perform “America the Beautiful,” moving the crowd with the lyrics, “God shed His grace on thee.” Before her closing song, Harvin asked for prayers for Funk’s stepson, Mike Funk, who was seriously injured in a car accident and is currently in intensive care.
Father Denman Isgett of St. Matthias Anglican Church delivered the invocation and homily, weaving Scripture with a reflection on sacrifice. He recalled the opening and closing scenes of Saving Private Ryan, where the now-elderly Ryan visits the grave of Captain John H. Miller, whose sacrifice allowed him to live.
“He kneels before the cross and says, ‘I hope that in your eyes, I’ve earned what you’ve done for me,’” Father Isgett said. “That’s what we call grace. The men and women we honor today gave us a temporary gift of immense value. But the ultimate and eternal sacrifice was given by Jesus Christ.”
Guest speaker Leon Richburg, Director of Veterans Affairs for Clarendon County, urged attendees to reflect deeply on the meaning of the day.
“We do not celebrate Memorial Day; we commemorate it,” Richburg said. “This is our way of respecting, appreciating, and honoring those men and women who sacrificed their lives for this nation. All of us live in a safer America because of their efforts.”
He drew parallels between military sacrifice and biblical service, quoting Scriptures including Mark 10:45: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
Pink Dogwood Garden Club President Doris Benke shared the history of the park and the club’s efforts to maintain it as a sacred space for remembrance.
“The club began in 1937 – the same year I was born,” she said with a smile. “The Pink Dogwood Mini Park was established in 1984 on land donated to the town by Colonel James Carson. Since 1993, it’s served as the permanent home of the veterans monument.”
Benke thanked Summerton Presbyterian Church for providing a space at the last minute. “We’re glad you came today to remember and honor those who gave their lives for our freedom,” she said. “Let us never forget their sacrifice. We live in the land of the free because of the brave.”
The ceremony included the laying of a memorial wreath by Harvin and Benke, a moment of silence, and the recitation of the Lord’s Prayer. The service concluded with a closing prayer by Father Isgett.
As the audience prepared to leave, Harvin looked around the room with gratitude. “I see a lot of older young people,” he said, drawing a few chuckles. “But I’m glad to see the younger generation showing up. Thank you all again. Be faithful on the way home—we may have missed the rain, but it could still catch you.”
The next Memorial Day service is expected to return to Pink Dogwood Park, weather permitting.
