A small village in America's heartland,
Hopedale, Illinois, on Memorial Day 2017 dedicated a new veterans memorial on the grounds of the village's medical complex.
Thanks to a young 78-year-old livestock
farmer, Dave Snider, from a neighboring village, the village of
Hopedale, whose population consists of 850 souls according to a
street sign, besides honoring local veterans, will also be honoring and remembering the veterans of
the USS Liberty.
From his own pocket, Mr. Snider
purchased two bricks to be installed in the memorial's walkway with
the inscription “Remember the USS Liberty.”
Snider cites hearing the original
reports on Israel's attack on the USS Liberty on June 8th,
1967, which he called “a whitewash,” and his recent reading of the
book “Ship Without a Country” as motivating factors in his desire
to honor the veterans of the USS Liberty.
Because of the patriotism of Mr.
Snider, “Remember the USS Liberty” will be forever screaming from
a veterans memorial walkway, from a village in the heartland of
America.
