Our country remembered those who gave the ultimate sacrifice on Monday. KRPS’s Fred Fletcher-Fierro has more.

In-person services and ceremonies were held yesterday to mark Memorial Day. This year Pittsburg State had its Memorial Day service as a virtual event with recorded remarks from two-time PSU graduate Kirby Brown, the dean of Park University’s College of Management and a 40-year veteran of military and federal service.

However, a handful of people showed up at PSU’s Veterans Memorial Monday to mark the day, including Army veteran Jerry Waltrip. He was never deployed overseas but shared his memories of joining the Armed Services.

“Well, when I went in at Leonard Wood like most people did. And then for some strange reason, I was yanked out of 5th Army and put in 4th Army and sent to Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio for medical school.”

Jerry served in active duty from 1956 until 1958. Then later served in the Army Reserve from 1958 to 1962. He’s been a resident of Pittsburg, Kansas, since 1969.