As a teenager, Jack Clark first found purpose with the Scouts. “It guided him,” according to his daughter, Annette Adams. Once he was a little older, and after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Clark and his brother enlisted in the U.S. Navy, serving at the tail end of World War II.

From January 1943 until May 1945, Petty Officer Clark served on five battleships. While he was mainly in the South Pacific, Adams recalled that her father went as far north as Scotland and to Panama in his oceanic journey.

When his time in the service ended, Clark was more than ready to move into the next chapter of his life.

“Dad said he was absolutely elated to finally have firm ground under his feet,” Adams said.

On May 20, the now 99-year-old Clark was given an Honor Salute ceremony to recognize his time in the military.

The ceremony was put on by the Community Nursing Services Honor Salute Program at Cherry Hill Park in Orem. According to a release, “These tributes often bring pride, peace and closure for veterans and their families.”

It celebrates service members for their time representing the United States amid global struggles. It’s also a chance to honor veterans while they are still alive. Once the organization is told of a resident’s wartime history, they check to see if they are interested in recognition ceremonies. If so, they move forward with the plans.

The honor salutes are done usually at the patient’s home, though sometimes are held at hospitals or care facilities — wherever the patient is.

Garry Bell, the CNS Honor Salute coordinator, reaches out to the branch of the military for which the patient served to get active duty personnel to participate in the ceremony.

“We do introductions and tell a little bit about how the program came about,” Bell said.

The program has been in place for six years at various Community Nursing Services hospice facilities.

After the introductions, the veteran is given a commander’s coin, also called a challenge coin, on behalf of the governor’s office. Recipients are also given a veteran’s pin and a certificate of service which is read out as service members stand out at attention. A folded American flag is then presented to the honored veteran before a hand salute. In the last six years, the organizations has done over 500 honor salutes.

If the veteran is eligible for the Cold War Victory Medal, that is also awarded. The medal, which has been given in Utah for two and a half years, according to Bell, recognizes military members or civilian government employees who served between Sept. 2, 1945, and Dec. 26, 1991.

Bell added that many of the veterans don’t feel they deserve the recognition, but after the ceremonies feel a “black spot” is taken off of their hearts.

“I think it’s wonderful that we have people out there, organizations that are reaching out while we still have these people here. We don’t have to wait until hey pass to honor them, we can do it now,” Adams said.

While serving, Clark participated in 10 battles including with the Japanese Battleship Kirishima during the Battle of Guadalcanal. He was also in Iwo Jima the days American soldiers raised the flag on Mount Suribachi.

Adams added that she has created a book of her father’s experiences and began sharing it with younger relatives so they can learn more about his life and the war. She said they became more interested the more they read and that their intrigue grew even more after the Honor Salute ceremony.

Bell wants people on Memorial Day, and every day, to sit back and truly reflect on war and what veterans have done throughout American history.

“As a nation, we need to remember what freedom has cost,” he said. “Our World War II veterans survived the Great Depression and their reward was to fight the worst war we’ve ever fought.”

More information about Community Nursing Services, a nonprofit that provides hospice care services, can be found at http://cns-cares.org.

Memorial Day events

Cities and organizations throughout Utah County are planning events for Monday to recognize Memorial Day. There will be programs and services held at the city cemeteries of Orem, Provo, American Fork, Lehi, Payson, Eagle Mountain and Goshen. Residents interested in attending any of the services can find more information online.

American Fork will also host the 2022 Run of Remembrance at Robinson Park. There will be a 10K race and 5K race, both at 8 a.m., and a mile run starting at 9:30 a.m. Tickets are also available for a breakfast by the American Fork Fire Department at Station 51 from 6-10 a.m.

Memorializing 1-15

On Friday, it was announced that the Utah Department of Transportation will install signs noting Interstate 15 as Veterans’ Memorial Highway. The signs will go in near Point of the Mountain. The installation is a joint effort by UDOT and state Rep. Nelson Abbott, also a member of the Orem American Legion.

“I think it is important to be reminded more frequently of the sacrifices and service our veterans make for us,” Abbott said in a press release. “These signs are just a small symbol of our appreciation to veterans. I’m so happy these are finally being installed and it couldn’t have worked out better by having them installed just after Memorial Day”

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