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The life of President James A. Garfield was honored during a
wreath laying ceremony at his monument and final resting site at
Lake View Cemetery in Cleveland, Ohio on November 15, 2014.
Army Reserve Brig. Gen. R.A. Bassford, 88th Regional Support
Command deputy commanding general, officiated the ceremony and
presented a wreath on behalf of President Barack Obama.
Attendees of the ceremony included members of the local community
and Scouts, history enthusiasts, and descendents of Garfield who was
born 183 years ago.
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Statue of President James A. Garfield
located inside his monument located at Lake View Cemetery in
Cleveland, Ohio on Nov. 15, 2014. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Corey Beal)
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James Abraham Garfield had only been installed as the
20th President of the United States for 100 days when he was
mortally wounded from two gun-shots fired into his back.
Though this act denied the promise of Garfield's role as
a great President, it does not define the life and
achievements of a great man, said Bassford.
“It is my honor today to pay tribute to President James
Abraham Garfield, a man whose life and achievements show us
how hard work leads to success – and show us how in America
– anything is possible,” said Bassford. “The story of James
Abraham Garfield illustrates the American Dream.”
Bassford outlined the humble beginnings of Garfield who was
born into poverty and never knew his father whom had died 18
months after his birth. The necessities were hard to come by
requiring hard work at an early age and leaving no time for
anything else – like going school.
“In most places in
the world, you would die as you were born,” said Bassford.
“In poverty, unremembered, insignificant, stuck with what
life had given you. But not in America, and only in America
could things be different.
Blessed with talent,
ambition and the willingness to work, Garfield wanted to
make something of himself, and because he had been born in
America – through hard work and dedication – his desire to
succeed could become reality.”
Bassford continued of
how Garfield traded hard and often menial work for an
education. This dedication led him into positions such as
teacher, preacher, congressman, a general in the Union Army,
a college president, a successful lawyer, renowned orator
and finally president of the United States of America.
“There has really been only one nation in history where
such a thing could happen – where a man could rise from
lowest of the low to the highest office in the land,” said
Bassford. “It is our great fortune to live in that nation.”
“We are tremendously fortunate to live here in America,
where we have that special and wonderful thing called the
American Dream,” said Bassford. “The belief that with hard
work and dedication, any person, no matter how humble their
origins - can reach any goal.”
“James Garfield
illustrates the American Dream,” concluded Bassford. “His
story is one for the ages, one that all of us should
treasure and remember.”
By U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Corey Beal
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2014
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