James “Bundy” Jenkins, at a Memorial Day service today, read a list of World War I veterans’ names from Wyandotte County who were buried at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens, 701 N. 94th St., Kansas City, Kansas.
On the 100th anniversary year of the United States’ entry into World War I, Jenkins, who is with the Armourdale American Legion Post 188, noted that he did not know any of the World War I veterans buried there, but they were all his fellow veterans.
Although only involved in 18 months of World War I, the United States suffered more than 291,000 battle deaths, an average of about 580 deaths every day, in that war, Jenkins said. There were 13 major campaigns. He noted that World War I servicemen were often confined to trenches most of the time.
Jenkins also noted today would have been the 100th birthday anniversary of President John F. Kennedy, who was a World War II hero.
Jenkins spoke at the annual Service of Remembrance held today at the cemetery and funeral home in Kansas City, Kansas. The event included a wreath-laying, a 21-gun salute, the playing of “Taps” by Joel Brinkley, and a bagpipe rendition of “Amazing Grace” by Joe Henre. The service honored those who died in service to the nation. Jenkins credited area firefighters with helping place small flags on the graves of veterans at the cemetery.
Flags representing the different branches of the U.S. military flapped in the wind at today’s ceremony, while about 100 persons attended the service in pleasant 74-degree temperatures.
According to Jenkins, Memorial Day began in the Civil War era after women in the South began to decorate graves of the fallen. Decoration Day officially became Memorial Day, a federal holiday, in 1971, he said.
Jenkins said the United States has fought wars for 242 years, involving more than 60 military actions, with the loss of 1.2 million American lives, Jenkins said. This year is the first time he has seen a Gulf War veteran’s grave at Chapel Hill cemetery, he added. It is important, Jenkins said, for veterans and their families to support each other.
