Amid a light but persistent rain this morning, a flag-raising ceremony took place at the flag pole of the one-room Baker School, among the properties of the Grundy County Historical Society.
Seven members of the VFW Post 919 in Trenton participated in raising the U.S. flag, the officer of the day, three members took part in the rifle salute, and a bugler played taps to conclude the outdoor ceremony.
Remarks by two members of the VFW were presented indoors, in the basement of the Grundy County Museum. Tony Ralston and Sam Smith alternated in announcing the names of 81 Grundy County servicemen who died as the result of war since World War Two. The announcement also included their military rank and where they died. While most of the deaths were from the 1940s, Grundy Countians lost their lives during the Vietnam Conflict and Desert Storm in Operating Enduring Freedom.
The most recent of which is Private 1st Class Ronald Sawyer of Laredo who died in southern Afghanistan in August 2009.
Commander Tony Ralston of the Trenton VFW spoke very briefly about the flag being raised, then lowered to half staff, then also read a poem about freedom.
As the ceremony was recorded, the entire list of Grundy County casualties, due to war, will be presented Tuesday morning at 9:33 on KTTN.
Photography is the feature exhibit this year for the Grundy County Museum. Handouts were given to those attending the ceremony concerning the use of photography in the military. The first recorded use of photography for military subjects was a series of Daguerreotypes (duh-gear-uh-types) in the Mexican American War of 1846 to 1848.
Both still and motion picture photography document combat, provide military intelligence and topographic data, air military training, and helping in mapping terrain.
Regular hours for the museum buildings at Trenton are on Saturday and Sunday afternoons plus holidays until the Missouri Day Festival in October. Admission remains $2 per adult.
