Kristy Bell sat before the small, white headstone of Lance Cpl. Thomas J. Slocum at Fort Logan National Cemetery on Monday and sobbed.
It has been more than four years since the U.S. Marine was killed near the Iraqi city of Nasiriyah on the third day of the Iraq war, making him Colorado’s first Iraq-war casualty.
Since then, about 50 people from Colorado have died in the war and another five Coloradans have died in fighting in Afghanistan.
“Let this day be proof that we haven’t forgotten them,” said Maj. Gen. Mike Edwards, the adjutant general of Colorado, in his address at the annual Memorial Day ceremony at Fort Logan.
Hundreds of people attended the morning ceremony at the southwest Denver cemetery. It ended with a 21-gun salute, bugles playing “Taps” and the singing of “God Bless America.”
“Sometimes in this country we look forward to this day as a barbecue,” said Navy veteran Bill Frueh, 55, of Golden. “We forget what it is about.”
Frueh, who served during the Vietnam War, was dressed in a woolen Civil War cavalry uniform to honor those who died fighting that war.
The family of Lavonna Birdshead has been coming to Fort Logan for four years to pay its respects to the former Army soldier, who was a member of the Cheyenne Indian Nation.
Birdshead’s nephew, Chuntay Her Many Horses of Lakewood, sang a traditional Lakota flag song for his aunt. The rest of the family adorned Birdshead’s grave with flowers.
“We’re keeping her beauty in our hearts by dressing up her grave,” Her Many Horses said.
On the other side of the cemetery, 26-year-old Bell, of Aurora, sat in front of Slocum’s grave. Slocum had written in his final letter to Bell that he wanted to marry her when he returned to the United States.
She read that letter on the day she found that he had died.
“It’s a day to honor him and the rest of the soldiers who gave their lives,” Bell said.
On Monday morning, Commerce City held its 43rd annual Memorial Day parade, which drew a few thousand people.
“This is my day to cry,” said Fred Clark, 71, who retired from the Army after serving during the Korean War and a portion of the Vietnam War.
Clark lost two friends in Vietnam.
“I don’t talk about it,” he said, adding that the memories are too painful to relive.
Seated next to him on the parade route, wearing red-white-and-blue hats, were Judy Witt and Carrie Winter, two friends who came to see their husbands participate in the parade by driving tractors as part of the Colorado Old Iron Club.
A woman who gave her first name as Brody said she put the flags up in honor of her two nephews – Austin Chittum, who served in Iraq with the Air Force, and Brandon Chittum, who served in Iraq with the Army.
Her two nephews are back in the United States, but await word on whether they must return to the Middle East for another extended tour of duty.
“I just want everyone to come home safe,” Brody said.
Staff writer Jeremy P. Meyer can be reached at 303-954-1367 or jpmeyer@denverpost.com.
Staff writer Christopher N. Osher can be reached at 303-954-1747 or cosher@denverpost.com.
