Local Veterans Groups Laud New “Court of Honor,” Memorial Day Dedication Planned
Springfield, Ore. (April 17, 2024) – Musgrove Family Mortuaries & Cemeteries today announced plans to create a new “Court of Honor” at Springfield Memorial Gardens to remember and respect Oregonians who served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Located along the main driveway in the northeast corner of the cemetery, the area’s existing monuments will be replaced with a series of new polished granite structures including a distinguished granite flagpole base inscribed with the names and ranks of area veterans.
“There is nothing more important than recognizing and honoring the service of the men and women who risked or lost their lives to defend our freedoms,” said Kristi Pyle, market sales manager. “The new expanded area will offer veterans’ families many new options for permanently memorializing their loved ones. From simple plaques to an ossuary, in-ground burial sites and a cremation niche wall with space for more than 100 veterans, the choices are as varied as the heroic deeds of the fallen.”
The original monument was dedicated on May 30, 1967, through the joint efforts of the Springfield American Legion Post 40 and Springfield Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3965. Representatives of the American Legion joined the Springfield Memorial Gardens team last week to mark the official groundbreaking and placement of the new memorials. The revitalized Court of Honor will serve as the gateway to the cemetery’s Veterans Garden where more than 1700 veterans and their spouses currently are interred.
”I am sure this will be an important place for veterans and their loved ones to stop and reflect on the sacrifice of those that have gone before us,” said Nick Gillaspie,U.S. Air Force veteranand American Legion Post #40 Commander. “The inclusion of new places for the remains of veterans and their spouses within the Court of Honor makes it all that much more important and meaningful. We look forward to having future events and ceremonies at this location.”
Pyle also encourages veterans’ families to consider the new Court of Honor for permanent placement of cremation urns held in their homes. “Recent research conducted by the Cremation Association of North America found that nearly one in four U.S. households have human cremated remains in their homes,” she said. “That’s 21.9 million families with parents, grandparents and extended family members who have not been memorialized in any permanent way. More than half of those remains are U.S. veterans. Veterans’ families that choose to honor their loved ones with permanent memorials create a place where their stories of service and sacrifice live on for future generations.”
Dean Armstrong, president of the Native American Cultural Association of Oregon and co-director of the Native American Honor Guard, said, “It is a great honor to have this new memorial in Lane County. The Musgrove group has honored veterans at their three locations for many years. Veterans and the warrior class hold very high standings in the tribes throughout North America. My grandfather was a World War II veteran and spent 39 months in a Japanese prisoner of war camp. I am pleased that the Musgrove group continues to honor our veterans.”
Gillaspie, Armstrong and other local veteran leaders will join the Springfield Memorial Gardens team to mark the official opening of the Court of Honor with a special ceremony on Memorial Day, Monday, March 27, followed by a ribbon cutting with city officials and members of the Springfield Chamber of Commerce on Friday, May 31. Springfield Memorial Gardens and Funeral Home is located at 7305 Main Street. For more information visit click here or call 541-215-6911.
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In the photos: Nick Gillaspie, commander of American Legion Post #40 ( far right) joined Musgrove Family Mortuaries team members (l-r) Randy Van Leuven, Kristi Pyle, Deanna Harbison and James Houghton at Springfield Memorial Gardens to break ground on the new “Court of Honor” to show respect and gratitude to Oregon’s fallen heroes.
