Board of Commissioners Chairman reflects on Memorial Day

St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners Chairman John Dobberteen said a trip to France earlier this month has given him a new perspective of Memorial Day.
During the chairman’s report portion of last week’s meeting, Dobberteen said he has visited a number of military cemeteries through the years, but a stop at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial was unequal in magnitude compared to what he has seen elsewhere.
Dobberteen said seeing 9,500 graves of kids whose average age is 24 and who all died within a couple months of each other provides an appreciation of the sacrifices made for the United States.
Commissioner Rick Shaffer said he appreciated Dobberteen’s acknowledgment of the veterans, and urged the public to take a few minutes over the weekend to attend a Memorial Day-related event.