To the elected officials of Westbrook:

I have lived my entire 68 years in Westbrook, and have always believed it to be an honorable, respected, decent place to raise a family. However, I feel the need to express my point of view regarding Memorial Day. My husband, Garry Amos Logan, is a proud American and a Marine who served, with honors, four hitches in Vietnam as a med-vac. I asked him once why he kept going back and his answer to me was, because these boys needed to see a familiar face, and he chose to be that face.

We have on the side of our driveway four permanent flagpoles that hold anywhere from four to six flags waving in honor and hope. Why, you may ask. The American flag is the pride we feel to be free, the state flag is for how blessed we feel to live in such a beautiful state, the Vietnam flag is for how proud my husband, Garry Amos, feels to have been able to serve the United States in a foreign country. The POW/MIA flag is perhaps the most important flag because it represents our lost, imprisoned and killed soldiers Garry fought with. This flag represents hope we will never forget nor abandon these soldiers and we know that we will see them again one day. The Marine flag represents all the qualities that make a proud Marine, honor, duty, loyalty, trust, faith and hope.

Memorial Day is the one day in which we can reflect and share with other vets. We know those who have not served can never understand; however, you all can stand united simply because you understand the great sacrifice our soldiers make every day to keep you safe and free and able to make decisions that reflect others. Our soldiers living and dead have made these freedoms possible for each of us. This simple fact makes Memorial Day a worthy day of recognition for our soldiers.

It does not matter how many or how few come to share this day with us, and it is no excuse not to have a day for them alone. They deserve so much more than we will ever be able to repay. This dedication on Memorial Day is not to entertain, but rather to honor and reflect and a chance to say thank you to a vet, or policeman, or fireman, for their tireless service, a service where their life is on the line every minute of every day they are on duty.

Is it too much to ask, that we make a stand in favor of our soldiers? They deserve so much more than we can ever repay. As for me and my family, from the very depths of our hearts, thank you past, present and future soldiers. You are all heroes and we will keep you in our hearts and prayers. God bleess you, richly, each and every one.

Elena Logan

Westbrook

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