Father Presented With Son’s Medal
By IAN HICKSOn Jan. 23, 2006, U.S. Army Sgt. Matthew Hunter laid down his life attempting to preserve the lives of others.
And on the 203rd birthday of the most enduring symbol of American freedom, the U.S. flag, Matthew's father, Fred, received a symbol of his son's courage when he was presented with a Medal of Valor by the Wheeling Elks Lodge 28 during their annual Flag Day ceremony at Heritage Port on Sunday.
A Valley Grove native, Hunter served in Iraq as a senior combat field medic with the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division. He was killed in Baghdad when an improvised explosive device detonated near his patrol.
"There is no nobler calling in the military than to be a medic, snatching those of us who are in pain from the jaws of death," said Jim Koonce, commander of the Military Order of the Purple Heart. "We honor him every day, and we miss him."
Also attending was state Sen. Jeffrey Kessler, D-Marshall, who said the Hunters "paid the greatest price that one could ever pay with the loss of their son."
He also spoke on the importance of the flag as a symbol of the nation.
"The Pledge of Allegiance ... is nothing less than a promise that each of us should make each day when we wake," Kessler said, noting he will do everything in his power to ensure that American armed forces overseas have everything they need "so that tragedies such as those that befell the Hunters do not happen to anyone else."
Kessler added that all West Virginians "owe ... each and every day an eternal debt of gratitude" to Matthew and his family for their sacrifice.
The Flag Day ceremony opened with remarks by Wheeling Elks Lodge 28 Exalted Ruler Patrick Duffy and a recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance led by Gloria Delbrugge, lodge treasurer and First Ward councilwoman. Ellie Garback of Warwood sang the national anthem.
Following the Medal of Valor presentation, Garback and her mother, Loretta, performed the patriotic song "Soldier Boy" for the crowd at Heritage Port. Duffy then presented a history of American flags, from the green and white "Pine Tree Flag," which flew over much of New England during the Colonial era, to today's 50-star flag.
Duffy believes patriotism is a forgotten value in America today.
"We have a responsibility to nurture patriotism in our children as it was instilled in us," he said, noting it's "sort of tragic" that the flag doesn't seem to be held as sacred as in generations past. "Driving down the street, you see more NASCAR flags than you do American flags. I don't understand the priorities."
Duffy noted the Elks have celebrated Flag Day each year since 1908, and it is mandatory for each lodge around the country to hold a ceremony marking the occasion.
"Flag Day with the Elks is a mandatory program because the flag means so much to our lives," he said.
According to Duffy, restoring patriotism to the Ohio Valley is a "never-ending job." However, Lodge 28 seems to be making strides in that regard, as Duffy noted the lodge is set to receive its third consecutive award for having the top patriotic program among lodges nationwide.
He said the award will be presented at a ceremony in Portland, Ore.
A similar Flag Day ceremony was held earlier Sunday at the lodge in Warwood, which Duffy said was "a very nice ceremony."
