"O beautiful for heroes proved

In liberating strife.

Who more than self their country loved

And mercy more than life!"

— "America the Beautiful," third verse



It is the third verse of Katharine Lee Bates' song "America the Beautiful" that expresses the sacrifice of the servicemen and servicewomen who have died in the Middle East, Illinois Gov. Patrick Quinn told the crowd assembled Saturday in Marseilles for the motorcycle Freedom Run at the Middle East Conflicts Wall Memorial.

The annual event draws thousands of motorcyclists and others to the monument on the north bank of the Illinois River, where the newly-inscribed names of those who have died during the past year are read aloud.

"We say to all our brave soldiers of Illinois and the United States who have given their lives in the Middle East conflicts ‘you are heroes proven in liberating strife, you love your county more than self and mercy more that life." "

This year, 399 new names were read, the first 10 by Quinn, who added the names of two Illinois National Guardsmen killed Friday in Afghanistan after their vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device in Kandahar. They were Sgt. Paul Smith, 43, of East Peoria, and Staff Sgt. Joshua Melton, 26, from Germantown, which is about 45 miles east of St. Louis.

Quinn received an enthuastic greeting.

"That"s the first time since we"ve been here, that a governor has showed up, said emcee Tom "Big Daddy" Yarber. "What a great guy."

Although it was the first time for an Illinois governor, it was not the first time for Quinn, who in 2005 attended the event while serving as lieutenant governor.

"I want to salute every single person who has come to this special place. It is a hallowed place. It"s a very, very important place. It"s a place where all of us can gather and honor real American heroes…

"When you look at the sea of people that are here you know first hand that the people of Illinois and the people of America support our troops."

Another state official, State Rep. Careen Gordon, D-Morris, was present.

"I"m very proud this is in my district and that I"m able to come every year and to honor these servicemen and servicewomen. If they didn"t do what they did, we wouldn"t be able to be here and do what we do every single day. It just reminds you that whenever you see a veteran, you should just say thank you."

It a ceremony of many emotional moments, one of the most moving proved to be when the sound system cut out as Luke Parker was performing a solo of "The Star-Spangled Banner."

After the space of a single heartbeat, the crowd picked up at "O'er the land of the free" and finished the anthem, following with heavy applause and cheers.

A flight of five biplanes roared overhead and performed a "missing man" formation. The plane that peeled off from the others circled back to skywrite a heart.

The audience heard from George Lutz, creator of the "Honor and Remember" flag.

He said the flag, introduced on Memorial Day of 2008, was in response to the death in the Middle East of his soldier son, Tony.

Lutz hopes it will become as recognized as the POW-MIA flag to recognize all

servicemen and servicewomen who have died on duty, whether in combat or not.

"There are two things that parents and family members cry for. One, please do not let that sacrifice have been in vain. And two, don"t let them ever be forgotten. This is a testimony to not forgetting."

A dozen individualized flags were presented to families who had lost members in the Middle East.

Each year the event draws an increasing number of families of the fallen and visitors from far away.

This year, the person who had traveled the farthest and participated by reading names was Sgt. Sean McClean of the Northumberland Police in England, a resident of Chester-le-Street in County Durham.

McClean is the brother of Fran Sires and brother-in-law of Lance Sires of Marseilles.

It was McClean"s seventh trip to Marseilles, and he had brought along a traditional English "Bobby" helmet to give to Marseilles Police Chief Jim Hovious. But Hovious, McClean said, convinced him to bring the rest of his uniform and participate.

"It is very moving, very humbling and I"m very honored to be here," McClean told The Times.

"I think it is magnificent."