by Ezabelle Janssen, Senior Staff Writer

PASS CHRISTIAN (GG) — Rain hammered the sidewalks. Umbrellas flipped inside out. Shoes sank into wet grass at War Memorial Park as thunderclouds rolled over Pass Christian on Memorial Day morning. But still, they came.

Beneath a dripping tent stood veterans in uniform, shoulder to shoulder, scouts steadying American flags against the wind, and families huddled under umbrellas.

Despite the weather, the Cecil R. Ruddock Memorial VFW Post 5931 carried on with its annual Memorial Day Ceremony, where community members gathered to honor the brave men and women who gave their lives in service to the United States.

“Lord, I appreciate our gathering here today, in spite of the rain,” said VFW Commander Ernie Carpenter during the invocation. “I’m glad everybody showed up.” And they did. Firefighters, police officers, veterans, elected officials, Scouts, and Knights of Columbus members filled the park.

The setting itself carried deep meaning. “You know, there are many functions and activities that this park does… But it was really created for this one function,” said Pass Christian Mayor Kenny Torgeson. “So if we did nothing but have one function, it would be this function,” he said. “And I’m really happy that we have this.”

That sense of preservation and purpose echoed throughout the ceremony. Alderman Victor Pickich recalled a recent effort to remove the word “war” from War Memorial Park’s name. “A few years ago, we had someone try to take the word ‘war’ off the park because they didn’t want the children to have to play in a park where they could hear that word war,” Pickich said. “The Aldermen fought to keep that there.” For Pickich, Memorial Day serves as a bridge between generations. He shared that his grandfathers helped build the park: “I know they’d be overwhelmed to see their kids here and grandkids here memorializing them today.”

Ward 4 Alderman Greg Federico attended not only as a city official but as a representative of the Knights of Columbus Council 4472, emphasizing faith, patriotism, and service. The ceremony’s keynote speaker, Commander Nigel Morrissey, executive officer of Naval Construction Battalion Center Gulfport, delivered a powerful reflection on the true meaning of Memorial Day and the cost of freedom. “It is not simply the beginning of the summer,” Morrissey said. “It is a day for remembrance, a day for gratitude, a day for reflection.” Morrissey enlisted in the Navy in 1995 as a nuclear machinist before building a distinguished military career that has included submarine patrols, engineering leadership, overseas deployments, and service with Naval Construction Battalions worldwide. Today, he serves as the executive officer of the Naval Construction Battalion Center in Gulfport and holds numerous military honors and professional distinctions.

He spoke solemnly, stating that more than 1.3 million American service members have died in war since 1775, while also acknowledging veterans lost long after serving, from physical wounds, illness, and invisible burdens carried home. “Memorial Day asks something important of us,” he said. “Not just that we remember the fallen, but that we live lives worthy of their sacrifice.”

Morrissey reminded the audience that freedom is not self-sustaining. “Somewhere in the long, complicated story of America, someone gave everything so the rest of us could live and live free.”

Throughout the ceremony, younger generations helped carry that message forward. Scouts from Troop 316 participated in the rendering of honors to the national flag and assisted with raising the colors during the ceremony. VFW leaders also recognized two Eagle Scouts, as well as a young student honored for his Voice of Democracy essay on patriotism. In his essay, the student reflected on the everyday ways Americans can honor their country and support one another. “Anybody can show patriotism,” he wrote. The essay encouraged acts of kindness, gratitude toward military members and first responders, volunteering in the community, and helping neighbors in need. “When people have a shared love of their country,” the student wrote, “this shared love encourages people to help each other in many ways, which is good for everyone.”

Those words reverberated, reminding everyone that in Pass Christian, the ‘P’ still stands for patriotic.

(Photos by Ezabelle Janssen/The Gazebo Gazette)