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SOUTH ST. LOUIS COUNTY, MO (KTVI-FOX2now.com) -
From Arlington National Cemetery to Jefferson Barracks, Americans paused this Memorial Day to remember the men and women who have died serving their country. Rain could not keep hundreds of St. Louis area residents from heading to Jefferson Barracks to pay their respects to the men and women who served. On a day filled with many remembrances, those of two area young people who died in combat are especially heartfelt.
Martin Luther King once said if a man has not discovered something he will die for, he isn't fit to live. Both Roslyn Schulte and Dave Schaefer knew what they would die for. They grew up fifteen miles apart. They died four days apart.
Roslyn Schulte graduated from a private school in Missouri and was an Air Force officer. David Schaefer went to an Illinois public school and was an army enlisted man. She was single. He had a wife and three kids. She was Jewish. He was Christian. She was in Afghanistan. He was in Iraq.
May 16th. He dies in Iraq when a roadside bomb goes off. May 20th. She dies in Afghanistan the same way.
Kay Ruwitch, Schulte's neighbor, says "We know she was doing something so honorable and something for all of us, on our behalf.
Schaefer's Aunt, Melissa Trolinger, says, "He was always the big brother. He always took care of everybody. And he always, always wore a smile on his face. And he was right there.
This was Lieutenant Roslyn Schulte's first deployment to Afghanistan. She became the first female graduate of the Air Force Academy to ever be killed in action.
Keith Shahan, Schulte's school headmaster, says, "You celebrate her life and her spirit and her love for her country and her love of life and, of course, mourn her terribly."
This was specialist David Schaefer's second deployment to Iraq. He became Freeburg High School's first casualty in Iraq.
Walter Ernst, Schaefer's Grandfather, says, "That's what he wanted to do and that's what he did. When he came home last time on leave he says grandpa, he says I've re-upped. And I said as long as you didn't volunteer to go to Iraq again. And he says yeah Grampa, I did."
Schaefer's visitation was Memorial Day just a few hours and fifteen miles from Ros Schulte's funeral. To the young they say death is just a rumor. Not today.
Schulte was 25. David Schaefer was 27. So far 4,300 American troops have died in Iraq. 687have died in Afghanistan.
The history of Memorial Day dates back to shortly after the Civil War. When the war ended, several communities set aside a day to honor the soldiers who had given their lives. The day was originally called Decoration Day because its purpose was to decorate the graves of these Civil War veterans. In 1868, it was formally inaugurated by General John A. Logan and was to be observed nationwide. After World War I, this day of remembrance was expanded to include U.S casualties of any war or military action. In 1967, that Decoration Day was officially renamed Memorial Day. The day had previously been observed on May 30th, but in 1971 the Uniform Holidays Bill took effect and Memorial Day was now designated to be the last Monday in May.
Martin Luther King once said if a man has not discovered something he will die for, he isn't fit to live. Both Roslyn Schulte and Dave Schaefer knew what they would die for. They grew up fifteen miles apart. They died four days apart.
Roslyn Schulte graduated from a private school in Missouri and was an Air Force officer. David Schaefer went to an Illinois public school and was an army enlisted man. She was single. He had a wife and three kids. She was Jewish. He was Christian. She was in Afghanistan. He was in Iraq.
May 16th. He dies in Iraq when a roadside bomb goes off. May 20th. She dies in Afghanistan the same way.
Kay Ruwitch, Schulte's neighbor, says "We know she was doing something so honorable and something for all of us, on our behalf.
Schaefer's Aunt, Melissa Trolinger, says, "He was always the big brother. He always took care of everybody. And he always, always wore a smile on his face. And he was right there.
This was Lieutenant Roslyn Schulte's first deployment to Afghanistan. She became the first female graduate of the Air Force Academy to ever be killed in action.
Keith Shahan, Schulte's school headmaster, says, "You celebrate her life and her spirit and her love for her country and her love of life and, of course, mourn her terribly."
This was specialist David Schaefer's second deployment to Iraq. He became Freeburg High School's first casualty in Iraq.
Walter Ernst, Schaefer's Grandfather, says, "That's what he wanted to do and that's what he did. When he came home last time on leave he says grandpa, he says I've re-upped. And I said as long as you didn't volunteer to go to Iraq again. And he says yeah Grampa, I did."
Schaefer's visitation was Memorial Day just a few hours and fifteen miles from Ros Schulte's funeral. To the young they say death is just a rumor. Not today.
Schulte was 25. David Schaefer was 27. So far 4,300 American troops have died in Iraq. 687have died in Afghanistan.
The history of Memorial Day dates back to shortly after the Civil War. When the war ended, several communities set aside a day to honor the soldiers who had given their lives. The day was originally called Decoration Day because its purpose was to decorate the graves of these Civil War veterans. In 1868, it was formally inaugurated by General John A. Logan and was to be observed nationwide. After World War I, this day of remembrance was expanded to include U.S casualties of any war or military action. In 1967, that Decoration Day was officially renamed Memorial Day. The day had previously been observed on May 30th, but in 1971 the Uniform Holidays Bill took effect and Memorial Day was now designated to be the last Monday in May.
