Belton holds Memorial Day ceremony at VFW Post

May 29, 2025

By Daniel Moctezuma

The Belton Journal

Belton’s Memorial Day – Remember & Honor ceremony was held Monday at VFW Post 4008 after rainy weather forced a move from the usual location at the Patriot Way Brick Walk.

Each year, the Belton Area Chamber of Commerce organizes the event to recognize military service members who died while serving the country, along with those newly honored with engraved bricks at the Brick Walk. This year’s honorees were printed in the event program and read aloud during the ceremony.

Mayor David Leigh spoke about his family’s ties to World War II, sharing how two of his relatives, twins Ray and Roy Goates, served in the 36th Infantry Division. Ray was captured and spent time in a prisoner of war camp, later dying of cancer in his 30s. Leigh also reflected on Capt. Henry T. Waskow, a Belton native who died in Italy in 1944 and was the subject of a widely read article by war correspondent Ernie Pyle.

“We lose so much in our community when we don’t have the connection to the land, to each other, and to our stories,” Leigh said.

Veteran Andy Sneed said the event brought people together around a shared purpose.

“There’s no division here,” he said. “We are all here together on one accord to pay respect to the ones who paid the price for us.”

Sneed added that remembering fallen service members is also about teaching younger generations what the flag and the country stand for.

“When they look at old glory, they shouldn’t just see a cloth,” he said. “That’s our freedom. That’s what the men and women who fought for us stood for.”

Mary Barr attended the event with her husband, who is Capt. Waskow’s nephew. She said Memorial Day has always meant something personal to her, especially growing up during the Vietnam War.

“I graduated in ’68. People went off to Vietnam every day,” she said. “My granddad was in World War I. My father was in World War II. We were blessed not to lose anyone in our immediate family, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t remember.”

She said her family makes a point to talk about military service and history so it’s not forgotten.

“We forget to tell the young people the stories, the honor, the respect—and that’s on us,” she said. “It’s not just the soldier who sacrifices, it’s also their family. That’s what our country is about.”

The ceremony opened with an invocation and included the Pledge of Allegiance, readings from veteran groups, and remarks from local officials. Representatives from the Military Officers Association of America and the VFW read names of veterans who died in the past year that will be added to the brick walk.

Following the program, guests were invited to stay for an auxiliary ceremony, sandwiches provided by the post, and a flag retirement ceremony led by scouts.