By Wayne Gates

Memorial Day was celebrated in many communities in Brown County on May 27, including in Mt. Orab.

Following a parade from the village park, a crowd of over 100 gathered to celebrate the sacrifice of those who died in service to their nation.

Army Chaplain Lieutenant Colonel David Long was an honored guest, telling the crowd how difficult it was to make a friend in a war zone, only to lose them unexpectedly.

Following the ceremony, Long talked about his service.

“I served in Desert Storm in 1990 and 1991 as a Chaplain and then in 2003 I was a Civil Affairs Officer where I served in Baghdad, Iraq to help re-establish their government.”

Long is a native of Brown County and said that participating in the Memorial Day event brought back some pleasant memories.

“I marched in this parade when I was in the Cub Scouts in the ‘60’s and in the Boy Scouts and then in the local high school band. To come back here and remember all those veterans who used to stand up here is very rewarding,” Long said.

“To be part of this is more than I can imagine. My dad participated in the VFW and my brother. To be here is a special day for us.”

Brown County Probate/Juvenile Judge and retired Marine Corps Colonel Danny Bubp also spoke at the ceremony.

He had praise for those who took the time from their holiday weekend to come out and honor those for which the holiday is celebrated.

“In Brown County, people always show up for events like these. It was a huge crowd today. They are here to honor our veterans and remember the past,” Bubp said.

“With Sheriff Gordon Ellis overseas, it’s still going on. We still need men and women who are willing to risk their lives to defend our freedom.”

Ellis is being deployed to the middle east for much of the rest of this year in support of Operation Spartan Shield. His is a Major General in the Indiana National Guard.

While speaking, Bubp took the time to recognize both ends of the service spectrum.

“We had an 86 year old Marine here that could hardly stand up, but he’s here because he loves his country. And over here, you have a couple of 18 year old kids who are willing to serve and take up the torch. It’s really heartwarming to see that,” Bubp said.

Bubp also took the time to ask veterans in attendance to come to the front of the crowd and be recognized.

As he has in the past, State Representative Doug Green sang for those assembled, including the “Armed Forces Medley” and “God Bless the USA.”

“One of the things that Dave Long hit on today was our freedoms and the cost of freedom. We reverered veterans when I was a kid. To think about those people who went into harm’s way because their country called them. They knew full well the price they might have to pay, but they still didn’t hesitate,” Green said.

“My encouragement to people is that if you appreciate your freedom, you need to stop and thank a veteran.”

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