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Memorial Day: “We do not forget”

Marshall, Lake Benton honor fallen service members

During a Memorial Day program in Marshall, area Scouts placed flags on crosses representing military service members who had died in the past year.

MARSHALL — Monday was a day of reflection and remembrance, as communities around southwest Minnesota honored military service members who gave their lives for their country.

“Americans have a special obligation to honor and remember our country’s fallen heroes,” said David “Chip” Manson. Manson gave the keynote address at a Memorial Day program held at Liberty Park. “We honor the heroes of all wars, not just on Memorial Day, but through our daily commitment to ensure that America remains a place worthy of such sacrifice.”

Manson said it was important to remember all the military service members who had sacrificed for their country. “We do not forget – whether it’s an hour ago or a century ago, we remember,” he said.

Lake Benton honors WWII sailor

“Every Memorial Day is very meaningful. However, this year Memorial Day will have a very special meaning for one local family,” said Lake Benton Mayor Mike Carpenter, during the Memorial Day program at the Lake Benton Opera House on Monday morning.

The remains of Glenn Cyriacks, a Lake Benton resident who was killed in the Dec. 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, will be returned to Minnesota next week. Cyriacks’ nephew Steve Krause spoke about his family’s story, and the Navy’s efforts to identify his uncle’s body.

“Glenn was born and raised here in Lake Benton,” Krause said. “He had four siblings and himself. His oldest sister was my mother Cora.”

Cyriacks was stationed on the U.S.S. Oklahoma when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, but his body was not among those identified right after the attack.

“It was war, and they didn’t have time to identify people,” Krause said. “There were 429 sailors lost on the Oklahoma when it was hit. Thirty-five of those were identified at the time . . . So that left another 394 that were not identified at the time.”

In the years since then, 361 of those sailors have been identified, including Cyriacks, Krause said.

“Our journey really started about seven or eight years ago,” Krause said. “We got a letter from the Navy asking if they could get our DNA.”

Three family members – Cyriacks’ sister June, Krause, and Krause’s cousin Dave Smith of Jasper – all gave samples of their DNA. It turned out that DNA matched closely with some of the remains buried in a mass grave, Krause said.

“Then on Dec. 7 last year, Aunt June got a call from the Navy that they were starting to exhume bodies from the graves at Pearl Harbor,” Krause said. Cyriacks’ bones would be returned to Minnesota. After talking it over, the family decided to bury Cyriacks at St. John’s Immanuel Cemetery in Verdi Township, where his sister and his fiancee are buried.

A funeral is planned for Cyriacks on June 9. Cyriacks’ body will arrive in Lake Benton a day or two before that, with a full military escort, Krause said.

Krause said he was touched by the care shown for Cyriacks’ remains.

“It is a wonderful feeling, how far and how much detail the Navy, or the military, goes to to help their own, to identify their own, to protect their own,” Krause said. “It really was great.”

“God bless the military, and God bless America,” Krause said as he concluded his talk.

Remembering the fallen

At Marshall’s Memorial Day program, Manson shared the stories of several people who died in military service. The examples he spoke about ranged from Coast Guard members sunk by a German U-boat in World War I, to 1st Lt. Jason Timmerman, who was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq in 2005, while he was helping an injured soldier in his unit.

“We are here today for heroes like Lt. Timmerman, people who have given their all just so others can enjoy freedom,” Manson said. We honor these heroes by supporting those who are currently serving in our armed forces, wherever they serve.”

Those who died in military service had many different stories and backgrounds, but they all had something in common, Manson said. “They all took an oath to die for America if called upon. We can ensure that the memories of these heroes and their sacrifices are not in vain.”

Manson encouraged the crowd in Marshall to take time to honor the men and women who gave their lives for their country.

“Let us re-commit ourselves to the cause of freedom, justice and democracy, so that the legacies of our fallen heroes live on for generations to come,” Manson said. “We continue to mourn their loss, but most of all, we celebrate their life.”

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