Rainy weather and chilly temperatures forced the Callaway American Legion to move the annual Memorial Day program from Rose Hill Cemetery to the Callaway Community Center on Monday. The program attracted a large enough crowd that additional chairs needed to be set up prior to the introduction of the speaker.

Following the presentation of colors by the Honor Guard, the keynote speaker for the program, Wayne Belew, delivered a message honoring fallen comrades and paying tribute to Robert D. Booker, namesake of Callaway’s American Legion Post.

“This day is more than a pause in our busy lives, or a day to mark the start of summer. It is a sacred time to pay tribute to the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice,” Belew shared as he began his message.

Belew is a native of the Seward area. He and his wife relocated to Arnold in 2021, and he began working for Pandorf Land & Cattle. He currently serves in the Army National Guard, and works with the Recruit Sustainment Program (RSP) in Kearney. He joined the Army in 2016.

He shared the story of the two Booker veterans, including the Callaway native, whose legacy is being remembered by the naming of a military vehicle in their honor. Both died in service to our nation.

“Their sacrifices bind us together and remind us of our shared duty to uphold the values they died for: freedom, justice, and the unyielding pursuit of a better tomorrow. Let us commit to living lives worthy of their sacrifice, let us support our veterans and care for the families of the fallen, and teach future generations the stories of those who gave all.”

Following Belew’s message, the Honor Guard stepped outside for the traditional gun salute for the fallen. As the final shots lingered in the air, the haunting sound of TAPS played in the background, echoing in the otherwise silent auditorium.

Whether at the cemetery in front of the memorial honoring our veterans who paid the ultimate sacrifice, or inside a climate-controlled building, the emotion behind the solemn remembrance was still present.