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By Diana Bowley of the News Staff - GREENVILLE - Standing Thursday in front of a veterans honor roll that carried his name, 79-year-old Lionel Breau proudly held the American flag in the raw cold. Shoulders stooped with age, Breau barely moved while fellow Cecil B. Cole Legionnaires spoke about the courage and bravery men and women have shown throughout the years in military conflicts and the lives lost in the name of freedom. Breau, who served 30 months during World War II, said he has made it his duty to participate every year in the local Veterans Day ceremony and plans to continue as long as his health permits. "I was proud to serve my country, and I served it well," he said after the ceremony, one of hundreds held throughout the state Thursday in observance of Veterans Day. Breau was one of 474 men and women who left Greenville to serve the country during World War II, according to Commander Pete Johnson of the local American Legion Post. "That was quite an accomplishment for a region that had about 1,800 people," he said after the ceremony. "Everybody that could go, went." Johnson, who moved to Greenville from the Belgrade Lakes region in recent years, is working hard to make the Legion an important part of the community. He said a free public luncheon will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, at the Legion hall, when veterans will be honored and six local people and businesses will be recognized for their support. Also on Saturday, Johnson will outline plans to support current service men and women. "We remember how men and women set aside their civilian pursuits to serve their nation's cause, defending the freedom of mankind and preserving our previous American heritage," Johnson said during the Veterans Day ceremony. "Out of blood and sweat, we learned of purpose, sacrifice, tolerance, bravery and discipline," he said. "These are solid foundation stones upon which a great nation is built. In our continuing quest for an honorable world peace, we must cultivate these virtues," Johnson told the attending crowd. Among those attending the ceremony was Vicky Canders of Greenville, whose father served on the USS Bunker Hill during World War II. Around her neck, she wore a necklace that carried a small metal ring. The heart-shaped ring was made by her father from the ship's body after it sank during the war, she said. "I'll always cherish it," Canders said. |