‘Humility in the face of sacrifice’
On a solemn day of remembrance for America’s fallen servicemen and women, Franklin County added uplifting music to a celebration of duty and sacrifice Memorial Day morning at Veterans Memorial Plaza in Apalachicola.
Seated beneath a canopy to lessen the onslaught of a broiling sun, the audience of veterans, community members and elected officials from throughout the county gathered for the annual event at the Veterans Plaza, this year newly enhanced with additional foliage put in by a crew sent by Bay City Lodge owner Jimmy Mosconis, the Vietnam War vet who more than a decade ago championed the creation of the plaza with a detail of the Three Servicemen Statue in Washington as its centerpiece.
Karl Ivey, a retired Army Airborne Ranger who graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1989, emceed the ceremony, put together by members of the county’s two American Legion posts, #106 in Apalachicola and #82 in Lanark Village.
Following an invocation by the Rev. Stephen Pecot, pastor of Trinity Episcoal Church, and the posting of colors by four members of Franklin County High School’s Cadet Core, Tallahassee’s Capital Chordsmen barbershop harmony quartet, “4 Oysters in Search of a Pearl,” led by Apalachicola’s Ken Schroeder, sang the National Anthem.
Retired Army veterans Mark Shields, commander of Post 106, and Legionnaire Myrtis Wynn, then together placed a wreath in memory of the county’s honored dead. Also at the base of the statue, a POW/MIA table stood in silent testament of remembrance for those members of the military whose final chapter is forever lost to historical certainty.
The barbershop quartet sang patriotic music, after which St. George Island’s Gordon Hunter, a Navy veteran who piloted missions over North Vietnam, introduced the speaker, Dr. Gordon Sumner, a retired Army colonel who owns a home on St. George Island.
Following a distinguished military career, in which he was decorated with the Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Air Medal, Sumner is president and CEO of Veterans Moving Forward, a nonprofit providing service and emotional support dogs to veterans at no cost. A member of the Santee Tribe, he has served in several support roles for veterans, including executive leadership to the largest volunteer organization within the Department of Defense.
A renaissance man, knighted by the Queen of England, Sumner holds a doctorate in adult education from Madison University, an MBA from Auburn, a master of education from Boston University and a bachelor’s in music from Jacksonville State..
Sumner opened his remarks by recounting his family’s rich military history that dates back to the Revolutionary War and his great-grandfather 6. His great-great-grandfather, William C. Sumner, was a Confederate soldier serving with the 31st Georgia Volunteers. After being severely wounded during the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, he traveled down the Apalachicola River, settling in Liberty County.
Sumner’s great-grandfather, born in Liberty County, served during the Spanish – American War as a physician and later became one of few physicians in Liberty County and nearby towns. “I remember riding horses with him as he shared stories of his Dad during the Civil War,” said Sumner.
His grandfather served as a squad sergeant in France during World War I, and after returning home and marrying, the couple spent their honeymoon in the Gibson Inn.
Sumner recalled many times traveling down to dine at the Apalachicola Grill, where the owner was “one of Granddad’s soldiers. He always called him ‘Sarge’ when he entered the restaurant. And I don’t think I ever saw Granddad pay for his or my grandmother’s meal.”
Sumner’s dad and uncles all served either in World War II, Korea, Vietnam and the Cold War, either in the Army, Navy or Coast Guard.
One uncle, a Marine, was one of the first “Silver Eagles” and served with Medal of Honor recipient Pappy Boyington and had two missions with a special wingman, Charles Lindbergh.
Sumner’s daughter, Ande, is a major in the Air Force serving as a physician assistant at Eglin Air Force Base.
“For me, Memorial Day is a time of deep reflection on the concept of sacrifice. It’s a day that prompts me to contemplate the immense bravery displayed by men and women who chose to dedicate themselves to a cause larger than themselves,” Sumner said.
“As I witness the flags placed on the graves of our veterans of all branches of the services and listen to the stories of their heroism, I am reminded that these individuals were more than veterans — they were sons, daughters, siblings, and friends. They had dreams, passions, and futures that were tragically cut short.”
Sumner’s voice cracked when he reflected on 9/11. “I was in the Pentagon that fateful morning, in the area that was hit by the airplane,” he said. “I lost six friends that morning.
“Memorial Day encourages me to engage with history beyond textbooks and classrooms. I seek out stories of veterans, learn about the battles they fought, and empathize with the challenges they endured,” he went on to say. “This day of remembrance underscores the importance of humility in the face of sacrifice. It’s a reminder that we are all beneficiaries of the sacrifices made by individuals who believed in the principles of liberty and justice. Memorial Day calls me to approach life with a sense of humility, recognizing that my freedoms are a result of the sacrifices of generations past.
“Memorial Day is a reminder that history is alive within us, and it’s our responsibility to keep the flame of remembrance burning brightly,” he said.
Sumner closed his remarks with the word “Aho,” a Native American term often used to signify “Amen.”
Following his remarks, retired Air Force veteran Scott Bush and Dick Huguenin, retired from the Air Force, conducted a bell ringing remembrance of those veterans who have passed away over the past year.
Retired Amery Gen. James Donald, who lives on St. George Island, offered the closing benediction, followed by the barbershop quartet singing, and leading the audience, in “The Mansions of the Lord,” a song originally written for the 2002 film “We Were Soldiers.”
Navy veteran Jeff Knutson played Taps, and the Cadet Core color guard then retired the colors.
Meet the Editor
David Adlerstein, The Apalachicola Times’ digital editor, started with the news outlet in January 2002 as a reporter.
Prior to then, David Adlerstein began as a newspaperman with a small Boston weekly, after graduating magna cum laude from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. He later edited the weekly Bellville Times, and as business reporter for the daily Marion Star, both not far from his hometown of Columbus, Ohio.
In 1995, he moved to South Florida, and worked as a business reporter and editor of Medical Business newspaper. In Jan. 2002, he began with the Apalachicola Times, first as reporter and later as editor, and in Oct. 2020, also began editing the Port St. Joe Star.