ADDISON TWP. – Two veterans of the Global War on Terrorism served as keynote speakers at the annual Memorial Day observance held Saturday in Lakeville Cemetery.

Former U.S. Army Capt. Justin Quisenberry and Lt. Col. Stacey Barker-Isman, of the Michigan Army National Guard, shared personal stories as well as their thoughts on what this holiday means to them.

Quisenberry, a 2000 Brandon High School graduate who served three combat tours in Afghanistan, recalled marching in the Ortonville Memorial Day parade with his late grandfather Mathew Mersino, a World War II veteran who had served as a U.S. Army artilleryman in the European Theater.

The first time they marched together was in 2004, just after Quisenberry had graduated from West Point. He admitted he wasn’t too keen on doing it at the time because he wasn’t fond of hot weather or parades and “the last thing” he wanted was for someone to thank him for his service when he hadn’t yet actually served.

Initially, Quisenberry didn’t understand why his grandfather marched year after year. “My grandpa wasn’t the type that you would have expected to walk in a parade,” he said.

Quisenberry described Mersino as someone who was “humble” and “quiet.” He had “never spoke about his military experience.”

It wasn’t until Quisenberry returned from Afghanistan the first time and marched with his grandfather that he got it.

“It felt different and I finally understood why my grandpa walked in the parades,” he told the crowd. “It wasn’t about him. It wasn’t about me. It wasn’t about us. It was about our friends who couldn’t be there with us . . . Finally, it all made sense. So, we walked for my friends who didn’t make it back and for my grandpa’s friends who didn’t make it back.”

Quisenberry marched in that parade with his grandfather whenever he was home. The last time was in 2016. Mersino died on May 20, 2017 at the age of 94.

“It was a good tradition and I’m glad that we did it,” he said.

But, Quisenberry said Memorial Day is much bigger than simply honoring the comrades that he and his grandfather had lost. It’s about honoring all those who fought and died “on our behalf” going all the way back to the War of Independence.

“We owe them a debt of gratitude that we can never repay,” he said.

To Quisenberry, “it seems silly that we only dedicate one day a year to them.” But the question is, “what do you do for the other 364?”

His answer was to try his “best to emulate” his grandfather’s life – get married, get a job, start a family, work hard and spend time with your children “teaching them and showing them how to live and how to love.”

Although veterans appreciate being thanked for their service, Quisenberry asked the crowd to “please remember that (Memorial Day) is not about us.” He urged folks to walk through the cemetery and find the headstone of a veteran, “somebody who couldn’t be here with us.”

“This day is for them,” he said. “Kneel down, say a prayer and thank them for their service. They’re the heroes.”

Leonard resident Geno Mallia, Sr., a Korean War veteran, noted there are 185 veterans buried in Lakeville Cemetery, including Pvt. Derrick Hulick (1759-1843), who fought in both the War of Independence and the War of 1812.

After Quisenberry spoke, it was Barker-Isman’s turn at the lectern. She enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1990, then joined the Michigan Army National Guard in 1997. She served one tour in Iraq (2002-03) and one tour in Afghanistan (2009-10). A resident of Macomb Township, Barker-Isman is currently the postmaster for the Leonard and Lakeville post offices.

During her speech, Barker-Isman recalled what it was like during her last deployment a few years ago. She was in Afghanistan.

“There were many days when our camp got bombed,” Barker-Isman said. “The terrorists, they were cunning. They bombed us even more on the days that we held dear. We had extra bombings on Christmas, New Year’s Day and the Fourth of July.”

She believes the enemy did that to remind U.S. troops that they were far from home and send a message that “we don’t care about the days that you hold dear.”

“But I can honestly say that those were not the worst days,” Barker-Isman said. “It was the days that followed.”

After the attacks came the “ramp ceremonies” where about 100 to 200 servicepeople would line up to “pay homage” to those who perished as their remains were loaded aboard a plane for the journey home.

“Those were the worst days for me, personally,” Barker-Isman said

Barker-Isman said “all (she) could think about (were) the families back home” and how they felt when they said their good-byes to their loved ones, prior to deployment, “not knowing if they’ll ever see them again.”

“It’s heartbreaking enough when you have a family of your own and you pray that they (will) not have to endure the things that you went through,” she sad.

Barker-Isman told the crowd that all servicemen and women want the same thing when they’re overseas – “to come home in the same condition” as when they left. “But unfortunately, that’s not the case,” she said.

She said many of those who make it back to the states “are not quite the same.”

“(They) suffer from depression, anxiety, PTSD and other ailments,” Barker-Isman said. “Unfortunately, some aren’t able to adjust (to civilian life) and they commit suicide, while others (endure) homelessness, hospitalizations and divorce. This has an impact on our families even after our service is done.”

She noted a lot of servicepeople who commit suicide are “forgotten” and they shouldn’t be because though their deaths did not occur on a physical battlefield, “they were still in a war zone in their minds.”

In addition to honoring the fallen on Memorial Day, Barker-Isman challenged the crowd to remember those “who came back, but are not the same” and remember all of the family members who lost a loved one in this manner.