Published: November 11, 2009 10:00 pm         

TRIBUNE-STAR EDITORIAL: Solemn pride in Griffin’s heroism

TERRE HAUTE — No gesture of thanks can adequately repay a sacrificed life. Remembering is the best a community and a nation can do.

Terre Haute observed Veterans Day 2009 in a fitting, proper way. The expressions of gratitude for a fallen hometown soldier — U.S. Army Sgt. Dale Griffin, killed by a roadside bomb Oct. 27 in Afghanistan — were heartfelt and abundant.

This national holiday’s intent, as proclaimed in the aftermath of World War I by President Woodrow Wilson, was for Americans “to be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service.” Thirty-six years later, Congress amended Wilson’s declaration to change its name from Armistice Day to Veterans Day, to honor all who’ve served in uniform.

In some eras, sadly, the holiday has drawn too little notice. That was not the case in Terre Haute this week.

Undoubtedly, the painful loss of Sgt. Griffin’s bright young life riveted his community’s attention on this Veterans Day. The deaths of Griffin and six fellow soldiers, killed when a roadside bomb struck their vehicle in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province, hit home across America, too. News images of President Obama saluting alongside Army officers as soldiers carried Griffin’s flag-draped casket off a military jet Oct. 29 gave the world a stark reminder of the high price of war. That moment was rare. No president in recent memory had attended a “dignified transfer,” in military terms. A recent change in Pentagon policy, and the consent of Griffin’s family, allowed media coverage for the first time in years.

The resulting photographs left poignant, indelible impressions. The country felt the reality of the lives given up.

In Terre Haute, the city’s traditional Veterans Day parade, this year, served as the procession for Griffin’s funeral on Wednesday. Hundreds lined the downtown streets. The sight of so many Wabash Valley residents, of all walks of life, watching as the procession rolled by was striking. Afterward, Griffin was honored at the VFW post, and again in the gymnasium of his prep alma mater, Terre Haute South Vigo High School, before being laid to rest.

Vigo County schools were closed for Wednesday’s holiday, but several paid tribute to Griffin and other veterans with special programs Tuesday. At Honey Creek Middle School, where Griffin once attended, his former science teacher, Nancy Padan, reflected on memories of his days there as a slide show of his life flashed onto a wall in the Bees’ gym.

“He was memorable,” Padan said. “Even in his death, Dale was making a difference.”

This week, the community remembered contributions made by veterans, past and present. That recognition is important each Nov. 11, and every calendar day in between.