Eric Flowers is no stranger to military funerals.

During his part-time work with the U.S. Army, Flowers, of Albrightsville, did over 800 funeral honors missions as a flag folder, flag presenter or having played taps on the trumpet. Of the 800, the four times Flowers had to step back and compose himself came after presenting a flag to a young child who had just lost a parent or to parents who had lost their child.

During Carbon County’s Memorial Day service Friday in Jim Thorpe, Flowers told the crowd amassed in Josiah White Park that whether those missions occur in Summit Hill, Jim Thorpe, Philadelphia or New York, the message is all the same.

“You want to honor those who have served,” Flowers said. “If you’re ever driving around and you see two people standing on either side of a casket, I ask a favor. Pull over and be a part of that mission. Because there is a family there who needs as much support as they can get.”

Flowers, a music teacher and band director for 27 years, including the last 18 in Jim Thorpe Area School District, was the guest speaker Friday in a short ceremony to honor the fallen men and women from Carbon County. He served in the U.S. Army Reserve from 1989-97 and 2007 through February 2024. His roles included tactical communications specialist, U.S. Army musician and Reserve band commander.

Several local lawmakers also took part in Friday’s ceremony including state Sen. Dave Argall, who referred back to a 2014 trip he took with Lycoming College alumni to the D-Day landing beaches of Normandy. Argall asked his then-retired European history professor, who had described everything that went wrong with the invasion, why that location was chosen.

“He said something I’ll never forget,” Argall said. “He told me all of the other alternatives were worse. If you think about the Revolutionary War, we didn’t have to do that. We could have let slavery continue to fester and not had the Civil War. We could have allowed the world to descend into complete anarchy during World War II. But we understood the alternatives were much worse. We pause today and remember the veterans we have lost for their incredible sacrifices.”

As long as there is evil in the world, State Rep. Doyle Heffley added, there will always be a need for brave young men and women to stand up and defend the freedoms and liberties of those in the United States.

If you have time this weekend,” Heffley said, “go out into your communities and attend a local ceremony or service.”

Carol Etheridge, constituent advocate for U.S. Congresswoman Susan Wild, recalled visits to U.S. military cemeteries in Italy and France while she lived in Belgium.

“The experience of being surrounded by thousands of graves meticulously kept and marked by a small white cross was emotionally overwhelming,” she said.

Carbon County Commissioner Rocky Ahner urged anyone attending a ceremony this weekend to remember that KIA and MIA are “not just letters etched in stone.”

“They stand for individuals who bled red, white and blue so you can be safe today,” Ahner said. “There were many tears cried for the battle where you died. The painful memories are remembered on Memorial Day but not forgotten the other 364 days.”