Seaford community comes together on Memorial Day to remember those who lost their lives

The threat of rain forced the 2026 Seaford Memorial Day ceremony inside to Seaford High School auditorium. The community of supporters along with veterans, came together to remember the men and women who lost their lives in war to protect our country.

The ceremony, organized by the Seaford Veterans Committee, was led by Charles Michel who welcomed everyone and spoke on the importance of Memorial Day.

Opening thoughts with prayer were led by Chaplain Chuck Hales who shared, “We take entire months for different types of celebrations and remembrances, but we only take one day to remember fallen heroes.” He added that he does not begrudge other celebrations.

“As a nation, as a people, our respected, I submit that our fellow citizens who gave the last full measure of devotion to all of us deserve better,” said Mills who then led those in attendance in prayer to honor and remember all fallen men and women.

Michel welcomed and thanked the Gold Star mothers and families, “These families once had a blue star banner hanging in their windows and now have a banner whose stars have turned to gold by the death of their sons who made the supreme ultimate sacrifice for their country during a time of war.” Gold Star families were welcomed and thanked as their sons and family members lost their lives while in service to our country.

Senator Bryant Richardson shared a faithful Bible passage. “God honors those who are willing to lay down their lives for others,” he said. “To the families of those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice, there will be a time to reunite in heaven. I believe we will know our loved ones, and they will be there to greet us.”

Also in attendance, Representative Danny Short provided and hung the flag of the Gold Star Family on the podium. Short said the flag was designed by Judith Campbell, a Gold Star sister, whose brother died in Vietnam, a combat medic. “I think it’s pretty significant that we’re inside today, because I can guarantee those that we are honoring and remembering today, never retreated to the inside. They were out in the rain, they never hallowed indoors but instead they were suffering through the weather and the wrath of those that they were fighting. They did it for us,” Short said.

Seaford Mayor Matt MacCoy and council members Dan Henderson, Alan Quillen, and Stephanie Grassett each shared a few words. Mayor MacCoy said he was impacted by something he heard and shared, “Those who have fallen gave their yesterday for our today. I agree, I also think about that they also sacrificed their tomorrow, they sacrificed everything for all of us. The least we can do today is gather for them.”

Henderson said he is overcome with gratitude and spoke of his own family names engraved on the walkway in Kiwanis Park. Henderson said his only regret is that the auditorium should be filled showing thankfulness and honor on Memorial Day.

Grassett spoke of years teaching in Seaford High School where she had one of the fallen soldiers in her classroom. “I always stop and think of the boys that I knew, and the boys that I cared about. And today is very appropriate that I’m here in a place where I got to meet them and know them. I know there are people who went before them, and God forbid, there will be people who will go after them in protection of our country. And I just want to say God bless them all,” she said.

Quillen shared that he too knew and coached some of the fallen Seaford heroes, “I am saddened that they are no longer with us and I just want to say thank you for your sacrifices. We have the greatest country in the world.”

Also in attendance was City Manager Charles Anderson and Chief of Police Marshall Kraft, also a veteran, and Blades Vice Mayor Susan Seltzer.

The guest speaker was Earnest Hawk Hawkins, Jr., the current Vice Commander for District One with the Department of Maryland American Legion. Commander Hawkins also was the commander of Post 29 in Denton. He served in the United States Marines from 1982-1987 during the Beirut-Lebanon Grenada era. Commander Hawkins spent his years in service, first in corrections, as a sheriff deputy, and later as a security assistant in two high schools before his 2022 retirement.

In his speech, Commander Hawkins shared the long lineage of service back to his great-great grandfather, Frank Orkins, who fought in the Civil War. Hawkins mentioned many other family members who fought for American freedom through the Vietnam War. Hawkins said, “The war of Vietnam was on television every single night, we watched it. All of this was ingrained from an early age.”

Hawkins spoke the number of known casualties from every war beginning with the Revolutionary War to Afghanistan. The numbers echoed through the auditorium as he read aloud each war’s casualty numbers. Hawkins then spoke on the missing in action, the one’s never found, he said, “The ones they don’t talk about.” Hawkins later added, “I now can see what the mothers go through while we are in the military, we just don’t think about it at that time.”  Hawkins thanked the members currently serving in our armed forces as well as the families of all who have served and who lost their loved ones to a war.

Representatives of Veteran Organizations made presentation to the poppy wreath to pay tribute to fallen heroes and followed with a recorded rifle salute, the playing of Taps, and the National Anthem.

Pete Bohn, former co-chairman of the Seaford Veterans Committee read the names of the two new bricks placed in Kiwanis Park for Jesse Eskridge United States Air Force 1986 to 1990 and Richard D. Houston, Staff Sergeant in the Delaware National Guard 1956 to 1963. Applications are available at city hall and any honorably discharged veteran is eligible to have a brick placed in the park.

The names of Seaford fallen heroes were read aloud as veterans and those in active duty were invited to come forward and be recognized. Seaford fallen heroes are: World War I: Thomas Penington, Lewis Taylor, Frank Quails, Kemp Wright, and Albert Waller; World War II: Carlton Massey, Harold McWilliams, Jr., George Johnson, Alfred Lankford, Ronald Lloyd, John Prettyman, Charles Taylor, Virgil Wilson, Dallas Bowden, John Collins, Lawrence Dickerson, Paul Foskey, Preston Hastings, III, Fred Prattis, Jerome Bennett, Walter Turner, Harry Hill, Albert Tull, Richard Branch, and Charles Faulkner.; Korea: Vernon DeShields, Charles Wright, and Irvin Tindall; Vietnam: James Miller, Richard Hill, Richard Dennison, James Messick, and James Henry, Jr.; Beirut: Michael Hastings; and Iraq: Ryan Long, Cory Palmer, and Rick James.