‘I remember him every Memorial Day' Vietnam veterans in Hamblen County remember those they served alongside
Every year, Hamblen Memory Gardens hosts a Memorial Day service followed by a small community cookout. It's a tradition meant to honor those who sacrificed their tomorrow for our today.
'Memorial Day is for those who never took their uniform off' Knoxville veterans honor fallen service members
6 News spoke with veterans and residents remembering the servicemen and women who lost their lives while serving this country. People at the event shared what Memorial Day truly means to them. They also shared stories about the friends and family they are honoring.
'Growing up, I didn't realize the significance of it until I got older, and I started having some of my cousins, some of my older cousins going to Vietnam. And I think that's when I started really paying attention to what was going on. A lot of people, its over time, it's lost a lot of its meaning… kind of blends in. It definitely needs to be about those that paid the ultimate price for our freedoms here,' explained Rick Eldridge, the state representative for Granger and Hamblen Counties, who shared a few words at the event.
Three adults, three children rescued after watercraft hit a tree on Pigeon River
The service took place in the special veteran's portion of the garden where the Vietnam Veterans of America placed American flags beside each grave. For Vietnam veteran Marvin Gilliam, Memorial Day brings back powerful memories of those who served by his side.
'I remember a couple of guys that I went to high school with, we joined the Marine Corps close together, and two of us went to Vietnam together. One was one of my friends was in the infantry. We graduated from West Green High school up in Greenville, and he came home and he passed away later due to Agent Orange…and I remember him every Memorial Day,' said Gilliam.
Eldridge shared he was honored to speak at the event and reminded those who gathered why taking time to reflect is so important.
'I know it's important to gather with your family and everything but, it's important to take a moment and say, I remember the families that have an empty spot at their table today. I think that's just a matter of respect and that's what we should do,' added Eldridge.
East Tennessee soldiers, sailors and Marines killed while on active duty with the United States military
Despite the rain, many people stayed to take a private moment to visit their loved ones who were laid to rest in the garden. Executive Director of the gardens, Pam Walker, shared with 6 News that they plan to continue to hold this ceremony for years to come and will always reserve spaces in the veterans garden for those who served.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
2 minutes ago
- New York Post
Here's how to navigate dating during this month's Mercury retrograde in Leo
Mercury retrograde in Leo has arrived, folks. This summer, Mercury will be retrograde from July 18th until August 11th, clearing its post-retrograde shadow on August 25th. Are we in Mercury retrograde? Mercury is our planet of expression and exchange, and during its thrice-yearly retrograde, the realms it rules are compromised. While most of us are familiar with the hijinks doled out by this transit, including but not limited to misunderstandings, missed connecting flights and general mind fog, this transit can be hell on the heart meat. Relationships are challenging at any point in time, but Mercury's deceleration makes even the simplest exchanges feel hazardous, which serves to explain why more than 1 in 3 people stop dating altogether during the perilous weeks that Mercury backstrokes. What happens when Mercury is in retrograde 3 More than 1 in 3 people stop dating altogether during the perilous weeks that Mercury backstrokes. InputUX – Indeed, a survey from the dating app Hily found that 4 in 10 young American women and 1 in 5 men believe Mercury retrograde negatively affects their love life. And for those brave enough to face the fray of online dating during this transit, the odds of being ghosted are high. According to Hily, 74% of young American women and 77% of men experience an increase in ghosting on dating apps during Mercury retrograde. But experts assure that the search for love should not cease when the stars are acting up or moving backward. 'Dating during Mercury retrograde isn't doom or gloom. It just means that you might need to put more time and effort into looking for someone on dating apps,' Hily astrologer Lisa Stardust told The Post. Stardust suggests experimenting with app filters, using them to be hyperspecific one day and free for all the next. 'Don't put yourself in a corner, because you might not know who you're looking for.' What happens when Mercury is in retrograde 3 For Leos, this retrograde will affect their first house of identity, and for Aquarians, their seventh house of partnerships. «MysticaLink» – When Mercury slows its roll, we too are encouraged to downshift — a practice that can be put to use in dating apps. 'Take time to build bonds. DM a few times to cultivate a connection and to create inside jokes. It'll help you suss out the winners from the bunch. Share old memories and childhood pics on your profile. Get nostalgic on the app to share various aspects of your authentic self with others.' If you make it to the in-person date, there are a few ways to ensure a smooth sail. 'Give yourself a little extra time to get ready and make sure you double-check reservations, because they could get canceled or there could be travel delays along the way.' They say all disappointments are a matter of mismanaged expectations. In kind, set yourself up for success through careful calibration. 'If you're out on the first date, you might opt to split the tab instead of expecting them to pay. Doing so will clear up confusion or miscommunications.' Mercury retrograde 2025 signs affected 3 74% of young American women and 77% of men experience an increase in ghosting on dating apps during Mercury retrograde. Ezio Gutzemberg – As Mercury is retrograde in Leo, the sign of the unapologetic hambone, Stardust implores daters to lead with equality rather than scene-stealing. 'Allow the other person to talk about themselves — don't Bogart the discussion. Encourage them to open up to give you a chance to get to know them better.' Two signs in particular will feel the effects of this retrograde most acutely. For Leos, this retrograde will affect their first house of identity, and for Aquarians, their seventh house of partnerships. 'Leo is going to take their time in romancing a potential partner and opt to play the field on the dating app before committing. Aquarius is looking for groups to connect with, so they're opting for a date night that includes friends. Odds are, Aquarius will spend more time Dming on the app before scheduling an IRL date.' Good luck out there, folks. When is Mercury in retrograde 2025? The next, and last Mercury retrograde of the year, begins on November 9th, 2025, at 2:01 am ET at 6° Sagittarius. Mercury will be retrograde during the problematic, familial feast of Thanksgiving, meaning turkey legs may be hurled and heads could roll. Mercury will remain retrograde until it turns direct in Scorpio on November 29th. The trickster planet will clear its post-retrograde shadow on December 16th. Mercury retrograde dates July 18, 2025 – August 11, 2025 in Leo November 9, 2025 – November 29, 2025 in Sagittarius and Scorpio. Astrologer Reda Wigle researches and irreverently reports on planetary configurations and their effect on each zodiac sign. Her horoscopes integrate history, poetry, pop culture, and personal experience. To book a reading, visit her website.
Business Insider
11 hours ago
- Business Insider
I gave up my US passport and changed my name — all for my love of basketball and Korea
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Lee Seung-jun, a 47-year-old retired professional basketball player who represented South Korea internationally. His words have been edited for length and clarity. A mix of my American dad's height and my Korean mom's identity took me places — literally. I was born in the US and grew up as Eric Lee Sandrin, but after moving to Korea and giving up my US passport, I became Lee Seung-jun. I went on to play professional basketball and on the Korean national team. Both sides of my family shaped me in different ways. Settling down in Seattle My dad is 6-foot-7 and played basketball through college, then later for the Army team. He met my mom while stationed in Korea. After completing his service, they moved to Washington state to settle down. My dad loved the mountains, and my mom liked being closer to Korea. My younger brother and I were raised in the suburbs of Seattle, although we often spent summers in Korea. Over the years, we started bringing other members of the family to the US, my grandmother, uncles, and aunts. Little by little, almost all of them ended up moving to the Seattle area, opening up small businesses like grocery stores and karaoke bars, similar to other Korean immigrants in the area. In between cultures At school, we were usually the only Asian kids in class. At home, everyone looked like us. It created a constant push-pull: Korean at home, American outside. At school, kids would say, "Are you guys Chinese?" And we'd say, "No, it's a different country." And they would say, "Oh, Japanese?" When we visited my dad's family in Michigan, our cousins didn't know what we were; they hadn't seen people like us in the Midwest. My mom worried about prejudice, so we didn't grow up speaking Korean. She wanted us to be American first, even as she struggled to learn English herself. Court vs. classroom I started shooting hoops when I was around six. In our early teens, we'd just head to the park and play. It wasn't until high school, when coaches started sending letters and offering scholarships, that I thought, "Wow, I might actually get to play basketball in school." I ended up enrolling at the University of Portland, and later, after a knee injury, transferring to Seattle Pacific University — I played for both of the schools' teams. After graduating, I got a teaching certificate and lined up a job teaching at a high school. Change of plans Then I chose basketball instead. My mom thought I was throwing it all away. My brother was planning to be a lawyer, and she had dreams of bragging about us to her coffee group. But by then, basketball had become my life, my brother's too. When I didn't make it to the NBA, I started building an international career, including a brief stint with the Harlem Globetrotters. I was still chasing the NBA dream when a Korean agent suggested I try out for teams in Korea. I suggested that my brother go first. He loved it and told me, "You have to come." So I did. To play for the South Korean team, I had to give up my US citizenship. My dad, a military vet, wasn't happy. He reminded me that family members had died fighting for the US. He thought it was rash. But after we talked it through, he understood. For me, it was about finding a better opportunity, just like his grandparents had done when they came from Italy. Restarting in Korea When I arrived in Seoul, I had just turned 30. At first, Korea felt familiar. The faces and food reminded me of my mom. But once I got deeper into the culture, I realized how different I was. I didn't speak the language and hadn't done military service. Basketball practice in Korea felt like military training. We practiced four times a day: 6 a.m., 10 a.m., 4 p.m., and 8 p.m. That's also when I started realizing just how many unspoken rules there are in the Korean language and culture. I remember one of my first practices, I walked in, sat down, and started lacing up my shoes. I was sitting in the head coach's chair, but I had no idea that was a big faux pas. So I was sitting there when the coach walked in. I went, "Oh, what's up?" I didn't even greet him properly. I didn't know any of this stuff. The whole team was like: "How can he be so rude? How does he not know this?" That moment really pushed me to start learning the unspoken rules and study the language. I eventually changed my name to Seung-jun, a name crafted with my mom's help. It means "beautiful victory," and links to my brother's name Dong‑jun — he grew up as Daniel. When I was growing up in the States, my grandma used to talk to us for hours, but we could hardly understand her. After learning to speak Korean, it was like meeting my grandma for the first time. I could actually talk to her and understand what she was saying. Off the court, still in the game In 2017, I retired, although I knew I wanted to stay in Korea. It felt like home. The healthcare system is amazing. My wife, who's half-Korean, half-Romanian, is also a basketball player and is still playing. A year after retiring from basketball, before my brother eventually got a green card and moved back to the States, we started Prism Hoops Academy. The youth sports company is focused on making sports fun for kids. In Korea, education is intense and regimented. Our goal was to create a space where kids could just play. I'm now running the school with Im Won‑jun, another Korean American who, funnily enough, also grew up in Seattle. We offer basketball, soccer, and chess. It's not about drills or perfection; our goal is just helping kids build positive memories. Coaching young kids has become a real passion of mine, and my plan is to go back to school for a higher degree in education or administration. So it looks like my mom will get her teacher after all.
Chicago Tribune
21 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
D-Day veteran and TikTok star ‘Papa Jake' Larson dies at 102
PARIS — D-Day veteran ″Papa Jake″ Larson, who survived German gunfire on Normandy's bluffs in 1944 and then garnered 1.2 million followers on TikTok late in life by sharing stories to commemorate World War II and his fallen comrades, has died at 102. An animated speaker who charmed strangers young and old with his quick smile and generous hugs, the self-described country boy from Minnesota was ''cracking jokes til the end,' his granddaughter wrote in announcing his death. Tributes to him quickly filled his 'Story Time with Papa Jake' TikTok account from across the United States, where he had been living in Lafayette, California. Towns around Normandy, still grateful to Allied forces who helped defeat the occupying Nazis in World War II, paid him homage too. 'Our beloved Papa Jake has passed away on July 17th at 102 years young,' granddaughter McKaela Larson posted on his social media accounts. 'He went peacefully.' 'As Papa would say, love you all the mostest,' she wrote. Commemorating the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasionBorn Dec. 20, 1922, in Owatonna, Minnesota, Larson enlisted in the National Guard in 1938, lying about his age since he was only 15 at the time. In 1942, he was sent overseas and was stationed in Northern Ireland. He became operations sergeant and assembled the planning books for the invasion of Normandy. He was among the nearly 160,000 Allied troops who stormed the Normandy shore on D-Day, June 6, 1944, surviving machine-gun fire when he landed on Omaha Beach. He made it unhurt to the bluffs that overlook the beach, then studded with German gun emplacements that mowed down American soldiers. 'We are the lucky ones,' Larson told The Associated Press at the 81st anniversary of D-Day in June, speaking amid the immaculate rows of graves at the American cemetery overlooking Omaha Beach. 'We are their family. We have the responsibility to honor these guys who gave us a chance to be alive.' He went on to fight through the Battle of the Bulge, a grueling month-long fight in Belgium and Luxembourg that was one of the defining moments of the war and of Hitler's defeat. His service earned him a Bronze Star and a French Legion of Honor award. In recent years, Larson made repeated trips to Normandy for D-Day commemorations — and at every stop, 'Papa Jake' was greeted by people asking for a selfie. In return, he offered up a big hug, to their greatest joy. One memorable encounter came in 2023, when he came across Bill Gladden, a then-99-year-old British veteran who survived a glider landing on D-Day and a bullet that tore through his ankle. 'I want to give you a hug, thank you. I got tears in my eyes. We were meant to meet,' Larson told Gladden, as their hands, lined and spotted with age, clasped tightly. Gladden died the following year. In his TikTok posts and interviews, Larson combined humorous anecdotes with somber reminders about the horrors of war. Reflecting to AP on the three years he was in Europe, Larson said he is 'no hero.' Speaking in 2024, he also had a message to world leaders: 'Make peace not war.' He often called himself 'the luckiest man in the world,' and expressed awe at all the attention he was getting. 'I'm just a country boy. Now I'm a star on TikTok,' he told AP in 2023. 'I'm a legend! I didn't plan this, it came about.' Small-town museums and groups around Normandy that work to honor D-Day's heroes and fallen shared tributes online to Larson, one of their most loyal visitors. 'He was an exceptional witness and bearer of memory,' the Overlord Museum posted on Facebook. 'He came every year to the museum, with his smile, his humility and his tales that touched all generations. His stories will continue to live. Rest in peace Papa Jake,' it read. 'Thanks for everything.'
