Serving Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky and Wood Counties
Medal of Honor recipient, Master Chief Edward C. Byers, a retired Navy SEAL whose father graduated from Clay High School in 1945, delivered the keynote address at the Oregon Area Memorial Day Observance on May 25 inside Clay High School’s Memorial Stadium.
“This day is not just a holiday,” Byers said. “Memorial Day is different from all the others. This day is a sacred obligation of citizenship. This day is a national act of remembrance. This is a day about the men and women who paid the full measure — not some, not most, but all measures. They gave their youth. They gave their dreams. They gave their birthdays and anniversaries and graduations, first steps, last hugs, and one more conversation with their families, and they would give anything to have that. They gave their lives so we can keep calling ourselves Americans — land of the free, home of the brave, the greatest country the world has ever known. We stand here today with humble gratitude, and we get to say those words. Not because they’re slogans. Not because they belong in a song, but because they were purchased by blood, sweat, tears, courage, faith and sacrifice.”
Byers earned his medal of honor “for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as a Hostage Rescue Force Team Member in Afghanistan in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM on Dec. 8-9, 2012. As the rescue force approached the target building, an enemy sentry detected them and darted inside to alert his fellow captors. The sentry quickly reemerged, and the lead assaulter attempted to neutralize him. Chief Byers and his team sprinted to the door of the target building. As the primary breacher, Chief Byers stood in the doorway full exposed to enemy fire while ripping down six layers of heavy blankets fastened to the inside ceiling and walls to clear a path for the rescue force.
“The first assaulter pushed his way through the blanks and was mortally wounded by enemy small arms fire from within. Chief Byers, completely aware of the imminent threat, fearlessly rushed into the room and engaged an enemy guard aiming an AK-47 at him. He then tackled another adult male who had darted towards the corner of the room. During the ensuing hand-to-hand struggle, Chief Byers heard a voice respond in English and raced toward it. He jumped atop the American hostage and shielded him from the high volume of fire within the small room.
“While covering the hostage with his body, Chief Byers immobilized another guard with his bare hands, and restrained the guard until a teammate could eliminate him. His bold and decisive actions under fire saved the lives of the hostage and several of his teammates. By his undaunted courage, intrepid fighting spirit, and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of near certain death, Chief Petty Officer Byers reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.”
The Memorial Day event, which was organized by Jerry Eversman — who also served as the master of ceremonies — featured a flyover by the 180th Tactical Fighter Squadron based at the Eugene F. Kranz Toledo Express Airport.
For Eversman, who is a 1977 graduate of Clay, events like this take a community to put together.
“An event like this would not be possible with the support of the school administration, veterans, Clay graduates, City of Oregon police and fire, financial supporters, and the Vietnam Veterans of America Greater Toledo Chapter 35 along with VFW Post 9816, in Oregon,” he said.
In attendance were state representative Marcy Kaptur of the ninth district of Ohio; Cruz J. Basquez, a 99-year-old World War II and Korean War veteran in the U.S. Navy and Clair Huss, a 96-year-old 1948 graduate of Clay High School, who is an Army veteran of the Korean War.
Basquez was aboard the Destroyer U.S.S. Maddox DD731 as a radar operator in the Battle of Okinawa, where his ship provided shore bombardment of islands occupied by Japanese forces while also screening for the Third Fleet task force and picking up downed American pilots.
Huss was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division during the Korean War. He has five grandsons who are military veterans, as well.
A vocal musical ensemble full of men and women from the Toledo area sang “America the Beautiful,” “Stand with the Brave” and “Amazing Grace.”
Several wreaths of remembrance were place, and names of the veterans in the local memorial were read. “Taps” was played by Bill Plummer. The benediction was given by Captain Eugene F. Shurtz, Jr. A rifle volley salute was given by the Vietnam Veterans of America, Greater Toledo Chapter 35 and area veterans in joint firing detail.
Clay Memorial Stadium was named in 1946 when the community, then known as Oregon Township, sought a bond levy to finance construction of the stadium as a war memorial following World War II. The voters approved the property tax levy and the stadium was built and opened in 1948.
A World War II memorial was constructed and dedicated in October 1948 and graces the entrance to the stadium. Through the work of the Clay High Alumni and Friends Association and the Oregon Memorial Group, additional war memorials for the Vietnam War and Korean War were dedicated in 2008 and 2009.
The group also provided for Defense of Freedom Memorials in the Memorial Garden for those who lost their life while in military service, not in war theatre.
