Placing wreaths at the Morrow County Veterans Memorial (left to right) are Buddy Busse, president of VFW 8054 Auxiliary; retired Lt. Col. Jennifer Kimmey; Jim Bruns of AMVETS 87; and Tiffani Wickline of AMVETS 87. The visit to the Veterans Memorial followed the program at Rivercliff Cemetery.
Alberta Stojkovic | AIM Media Midwest
Following the national anthem played by the Mount Gilead Marching Band, Memorial Day keynote speaker retired Lt. Col. Jennifer Kimmey spoke of the cost of freedom at Mount Gilead Rivercliff Cemetery.
“Freedom comes at a great cost,” said Kimmey. “We are defending the values our country holds dear.”
Kimmey, who served in the U.S. military for 24 years, began with the story of her great-great grandfather Payton Shields who fought in the Civil War. He was in prison two years at the end of the war at Andersonville Prison in Georgia. The prison was notorious for overcrowding and disease. Of the 45,000 Union soldiers imprisoned there, 13,000 died from disease, malnutrition and poor sanitation.
At the end of the war in April 1865, prisoners were released from Andersonville and loaded onto the steamboat Sultana to head home, stopping at Cairo, Illinois, where they would get a train to Camp Chase near Columbus, Ohio, to muster out.
There were 2,200 soldiers loading onto a boat, which was supposed to carry no more than 376. The boilers became overheated, causing an explosion on the Sultana. Of the 2,200 on the ship, Kimmey said 1,169 died and 963 survived. Her great-great grandfather was scalded, burned, and jumped into the river and swam three miles. He ended up seven miles from the wrecked boat.
By her ancestor’s account, his experience of the war was traumatizing. He said he had “never seen a well hour since.”
Kimmey said the mental state of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is one which many veterans know and experience. She recalled her own experience in Afghanistan when Taliban suicide bombers killed three Ohio National Guard soldiers. Several others were seriously injured in the bombing. It was one of several Taliban attacks in the area which killed both military members and civilians.
While the bombings shocked and traumatized service members, Kimmey said, “It didn’t stop the team from going on with purpose.”
She said her great-great grandfather’s words often express feelings she also has, which is “not to have seen a well or peaceful hour since that experience.” She went on to say that suicide has claimed more lives than death in battle in the past 20 years.
In 2021, research found that 30,177 active-duty personnel and veterans who served in the military after 9/11 have died by suicide, compared to 7,057 service members killed in combat those same 20 years. Kimmey referenced the Veterans Administration (VA) annual 2022 report, which shows the beginning of a downturn in veteran suicides. The annual deaths in 2018 were 6,796 compared to 6,146 in 20020.
Community, family, and VA support is vital in reaching out to veterans who are struggling with PTSD and other mental stressors, she said.
Kimmey concluded her speech saying, “If you know anyone in the circumstances of PTSD, let them know help is available.”
Others participating in the Rivercliff program included emcee Tim Sharrock, Pastor Jeff Canankamp, Cub Scout Pack 56, Liam Stalnaker, who played selections on the bagpipes, and the Color Guard.
The rifle salute was given by the Color Guard and Firing Squad, commanded by Mike McKinney.
Members of the Color Guard and Firing Squad include Bill Mills, Steve Montell, Richard Braddock, Erick Shaffer, Matthew Casler, Sam Beal, Jerry Jagger, Brenda Harden, Gary Baker, Don Broadwater, David Broadwater and Don Broadwater Jr.; members of the Nelson E. Campbell Jr. V.F.W. Post 8054: Gary Dilsaver, Alan Forry, Chad Remy, Sam Reeve and Dustin Stark; and members of the Mount Gilead AMVETS Post 87.
Daniel Fricke, Memorial Day program coordinator, gave special thanks to Cub Scout Pack 56, of Mount Gilead, for placing flags and flowers at Rivercliff Cemetery, Mr. and Mrs. Larry Shotwell for supplying the sound system at the cemetery, and the Mount Gilead Police Department for traffic control.
The Morrow County Veterans Services Office is located at 143 S. Main St. Mount Gilead. Hours are Monday-Thursday from 7 a.m. to noon and 1-5:30 p.m.
Alberta Stojkovic is a correspondent for The Morrow County Sentinel. She can be reached at [email protected].
