STATEMENT FOR 28 FEBRUARY 2002
President John Kennedy said “a nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces, but also by the men it honors and the men it remembers.” Tonight, those of us here, are doing just that, honoring and remembering the Americans who paid the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedoms. If JFK’s words are indeed true, then this nation has revealed itself as GREAT in every sense of the word.
For those of us who have gone in harm’s way, the ultimate sacrifice is to give one’s life for one’s country. From the perspective of a parent, the ultimate sacrifice is not one’s self, it is one’s child. The loss of my son Kris was devastating to the family; it is a cause of infinite sorrow; and it will be a source of pain for the rest of my life. With the help of those gathered here tonight, Kris will be remembered and honored as a caring American, one whose ideals were such that he would willingly protect our freedoms. The Memory Board devised by the United Veterans of Doylestown that we dedicate tonight will help keep Kris’s spirit alive. For me, Kris’s spirit will always be in Peace Valley Park, a place he loved to go to hone survival skills, to practice stalking deer and to blend with the surroundings to become part of the natural environment. And we hope Kris’s spirit will live on in his nephew, Kristofor, born on 14 October 2001.
On behalf of our entire family, I thank you all sincerely for gathering here tonight to honor and remember Kris in this special way.
RANGERS LEAD THE WAY Captain Ric Stonesifer, United States Naval Reserve, Retired
Read by Dr. Roberta R. Dimond, Ed.D Delaware Valley College