May 30, 1994
Yesterday Harry and I went to Chester [SC] to attend a Memorial Day service.
It was held in a small park on the top of the hill ["The Hill" is the center of downtown Chester and has been called by that name for years, since it is a significant hill] under a monument dedicated to the Veterans of the Civil War. There was [were] 150 small crosses placed there with the names of men who had given their lives during battle since [the Civil War:] World War I -World War II - Korea - Vietnam.
There were many names of men both Harry and I had known but my attention was on one cross with the name of Arthur Leroy McKeown, my oldest brother who died at Anzio beachhead in Italy, March 23, 1944. My first cousin, Hugh Mobley's name was there - killed aboard a Navy ship in the Pacific - Dewey McKeown another relative's name was there.
It was painful to see but I was gald to know all of these men were still remembered with gratitude and love for there sacrifice that this country would be free.
I pray that we here now and in the future will be worthy of them and protect this country from without and within as we are having so much internal bad feelings here.