By Ronnie Smith

Memorial Day is a patriotic holiday. It is a day to honor and remember all those veterans who served our great nation and gave their lives so that we may enjoy our freedoms.

Originally, Memorial Day was set aside to honor those men who died in the war between the states. It actually originated when southern women scattered spring flowers on the graves of both southern and northern soldiers during the Civil War. Its observance today includes all veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice and gave their lives for their country.

Rowan County’s “Fame” angel statue is a memorial to our veterans, gray, blue, black and white who gave their lives for their country. If “Fame” could talk, we are certain she would share many stories that would stir our hearts and, hopefully, make us proud as we honor the courage of our many soldiers over the years. Every veteran, black and white, is truly the heart and soul of the history of our great nation. Unlike what some special interest groups would like for us  to believe, “Fame,” does not represent hate, oppression or division. On the contrary, it is the exact opposite. “Fame” is our angel whose light shines to help bring peace, love and unity to our lives.

That is what America seems to have forgotten today — the many sacrifices our forefathers made in order for us to live today in the greatest country in the world. Like many Rowan County citizens, I felt it was a sad day when they took “Fame” down from its prominent location on Innes  Street. Now, we can only hope and pray that they listen to our voices and put “Fame” in a place of honor, prominence and dignity for all to see and remember the history of our ancestors and country.

Yes, we can all learn from our history. We have healed as a nation and we should all be very proud to be citizens of the United States of America. “Lest we forget” should be our motto, not just for our Civil War veterans, but for all veterans of all wars.

As we look forward to the future of our country, instead of the many acts of violence we witnessed in many of our cities this past year, it is now more important than ever for our generations, past, present and future to come together and respect each other, learn from the history of our nation and make America the great country it was meant to be.

In closing, from a personal perspective, I never knew my great-great grandfather, but his name is listed on the Rowan County Honor Roll among the hundreds of Confederate veterans, black and white, who gave their lives for our country. My great-great grandfather was a simple dirt farmer from the Trading Ford area of Rowan County. To my knowledge, he never owned a slave, and unlike the northern carpetbaggers, he was never an advocate for slavery in the South. He was killed in action in a battle outside Lynchburg, Virginia, under the command of Gen. Robert E. Lee. He is buried today in an unknown grave in Virginia with hundreds of other veterans who shared the same fate.

I will always honor and cherish the memory of my great-great grandfather and the thousands of blue, gray, white and black veterans who served our country with pride and honor in time of war. Thank you, “Fame,” for helping us to remember their sacrifices and this important chapter in the history of our country. 

On this Memorial Day, we salute you, our fallen comrades, and we salute “Fame,” an angel of God. We hope and pray for the day of universal peace for all mankind. “Lest we forget . . .” may God bless you and may God always bless America.

Ronnie Smith lives in Salisbury.