Visit to US Veteran’s Cemetery in Holly

It is said that “There are no atheists in fox holes.” With that thought in mind, I finally fulfilled my obligation to visit the U.S. Veteran’s Cemetery in Holly, Mich., north of Detroit, the facility dedicated as a final resting place for our heroes who served valiantly for the freedom of our country, its values, and the American way of life we cherish.

It was a pleasant drive on I-75, which is clearly marked for directions to the cemetery. I felt chills as I made the turn into the cemetery. A multitude of American flags lined both sides of the road, gently blowing in the freshly born spring day. I could see white marble crosses forever into the distance through my watery eyes. Hundreds of crosses, each representing men and women who bravely served in the armed services of our country, lined up neatly as in military order.

A complete funeral, grave maintenance, and marker are available to a vet and his/her spouse at no charge to the family, other than the service of a funeral director.

Each burial site represents the brave ones who died in war, as well as those who returned safely, hopefully dying at a ripe old age, and choosing to be buried among comrades who, like themselves, knew the hell of war.

Being in the presence of these heroes submerges you into deep thought. Who were these brave men and women who fought for freedom? They held all ranks, from private to general. Some were more distinguished than others, but in a government cemetery they are equal in rank.

The graves of American soldiers can be found throughout Europe, wherever they fought and died. We know we have lost imprisoned and tortured soldiers at the hands of the Japanese, Koreans, and Vietnamese. The graves of those missing in action remain unknown. For their families, it must be unbearable to have no real closure.

I had been told that the serene beauty and peace represented in Holly are equal to the Arlington National Cemetery. I found that to be true, and it would be an honor to be buried there among its rolling hills amidst the towering pines and blue lake. Hundreds of acres of manicured quiet acres await these heroes who likely faced the terror of bombs, grenades, hand-to-hand combat, poisonous chemicals, the loss of limbs and even sanity.

The human aspect, the impact of knowing how wars are fought, is a real human drama. You can think of it as a waste of mankind, or as a fight to preserve our freedom. It remains an ugly part of our existence.

There will always be dictators, greedy power-seekers out to destroy and defeat nations. We bury our dead but we do not forget them, nor should we ever. Memorial Day should not be thought of as a time for drinking and eating only. The dignity of the day should be remembered.

I looked out over the fields full of crosses; some markers bore the Jewish Star of David, and I thought of the many men and women cut down in the bloom of youth. Is this the best civilization can produce?

With hundreds of acres dedicated to the burial of servicemen and their non-military spouses, you realize the government is well prepared to welcome thousands more from future wars to these cemeteries for armed forces personnel. It is not a pleasant thought.

It is never too late to give thanks to God for the return of loved ones who served. I said a quiet prayer of thanks for the return of my family members who served in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. Thanks must also be expressed to those who died, and those who came back alive, and those that are living out their days in poor health in Veteran’s hospitals. So many of them have been abandoned, and are living out their days in loneliness.

It is a disgrace that many veterans do not get proper care and deserved financial assistance. They have to beg for help. You hear a lot of non-convincing talk about care and benefits for veterans on the air waves, but so much of it is just hype.

I drove all around the cemetery, then did some walking. You can imagine my excitement when I found an Armenian. His white marble cross read, “In memory of Andrew Sarkisian, born Feb. 2, 1917, died Aug. 9, 2012. US Navy WWII. Caring husband, father, grandfather.” His marker bore the distinctive Armenian cross. I said the “Hayr Mer”for Andrew and thanked him for his service.

Another marker read, “Dale Brown, WWII WA AC. Gone fishing. See you soon.”

Another, “Lest we forget, dedicated by the Dept. of Michigan Jewish War Veterans and Ladies Auxiliary.”

Another described the veteran Bob Kroub Ltg G US Navy Korea as “Handsome, debonair, and fun to be with.” One section was devoted to those killed in action. Very few bore no cross at all.

The veteran’s cemetery also had provided for cremations. With the ridiculously exorbitant cost of funerals, the Holly facility is an exceptional option.

With the help of the onsite computer there, I was able to locate and visit the grave of Paul Margosian, a Pontiac friend who died a couple of years ago. Was is it a mere coincidence that among the thousands buried there I was I was able to drive right up to the section and row Paul was in? This is the gentleman who had dunked me, the non-swimmer, in deep water at Cass Lake years ago. He was mischievous and was probably laughing as we both recalled that beach day when we both were so young and life was still kind and sweet.

By the way, that was the one and only date with him, by my choice.

I left the cemetery pensive but grateful for this peaceful place where our servicemen can rest in peace under the stars at night and the sun in the daytime, knowing they are safe in the arms of God and Heaven above. They performed their obligation. Ours is to remember them.

Betty Apigian-Kessel

Betty Apigian-Kessel

Betty (Serpouhie) Apigian Kessel was born in Pontiac, Mich. Together with her husband, Robert Kessel, she was the proprietor of Woodward Market in Pontiac and has two sons, Bradley and Brant Kessel. She belonged to the St. Sarkis Ladies Guild for 12 years, serving as secretary for many of those years. During the aftermath of the earthquake in Armenia in 1988, the Detroit community selected her to be the English-language secretary and she happily dedicated her efforts to help the earthquake victims. She has a column in the Armenian Weekly entitled “Michigan High Beat.”

1 Comment

  1. Betty, Thank you for the thoughtful article. I live only a few miles from the cemetary, and, from time to time drive through it to remember those that served our nation and to appreciate how fortunate we are to live in the USA. With our nation taking a turn away from what has made us the nation that all who seek freedom wish to come to, perhaps more folks need to take the drive as well.
    I can only imagine what my grandparents, who came here with so little yet fought to make it, would think of what they would see today?

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