Boy Scouts Honor Vets On Flag Day!

Boy Scouts honor vets
Updated: Monday, 31 May 2010, 7:22 PM EDT
Published : Monday, 31 May 2010, 7:22 PM EDT


TAMPA - It's a scene repeated across America to this day: Boy Scouts, before the heat of the day, honoring the fallen with the stars and stripes they died defending.

As the 11 a.m. service looms later, flags fly along Kennedy Boulevard, horn honking fills the humid air, and folks salute as they drive past an American Legion Post and Cemetery named for a Coast Guard Cutter, the Tampa, lost in World War One, September 26, 1918 in the Bristol Channel.

One hundred thirty three died. This year marks the 88th they've remembered the War Dead here.
Tampa's Commander Bill Hamblin, a co-founder of the Bayshore Patriots, has lead the Post to new prosperity.

"When you look at the wall in our hallway there, the past Commanders, it starts in 1919, we were one of the first posts ever and its still going strong today," he says.

The wall is a who's who of Tampa veterans who survived wars to became leaders with names like Lowry, Culbreath, Macfarlane and many more. Hamblin made sure his guest speaker this Memorial Day, Major General Steve Hashem from the U.S. Central Command, got to see that wall.

Outside in the now searing heat people young and old came from far and wide, drawn to the shade and the Patriotism under the oaks on the edge of the neatly scrubbed stones and the flags the scouts had planted by each.

It was a long, long way from Carl Bradfields' return from Viet Nam.

"We were treated like dirt," he recalled. "And I don't mind saying that."

With a large ground of Coalition Troops from MacDill looking on in their uniforms from all over the world, General Hashem read the names of the Tampa service members who've lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"In fields, skies and seas around the world." he said, "American military personnel have stood tall to oppose the enemies of freedom. Many of these servicemen and women gave their lives to defend our liberty and uphold the promise of our democracy."

Wreaths were placed, and a German Navy Petty Officer bugled his country's salute to the fallen, "I had a Comrade."

After a gun salute from Hillsborough High's ROTC, the Scouts, the future Soldiers, raised the Flag back up the pole on Kennedy, for another year.