Bird Key Yacht Club honors the fallen on Memorial Day

On Memorial Day, Steve Horton remembers his next-door neighbor in Washington, D.C.

Richard Higgins was a colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps commissioned immediately after college. He served combat tours in Vietnam.  

In 1987, Higgins was assigned to be the chief of the United Nations observation group in Lebanon. Six months later, he was abducted by Hezbollah terrorists and killed later that year. 

Horton said he remembered working with Higgins at the Pentagon. He also would see him in the Pentagon Athletic Club and their children grew up playing together. 

This is who Bird Key Yacht Club Commodore Horton honored on Memorial Day as he led the presentation at the club's annual Memorial Day ceremony.

“Each year, I try to personalize this by addressing one person who has given the ultimate sacrifice among the many men,” said Horton. “Let us remember the price of freedom. As the living, our obligation is not to let our fallen service members' sacrifice be in vain but always to rise up and continue to fight for freedom. God bless those serving, especially those employed today in harm's way, providing us the opportunity to enjoy this beautiful day.”

The Bird Key Yacht Club honored 40 veterans at its Memorial Day presentation. Lemon Bay High School’s Navy Junior ROTC conducted a special flag ceremony followed by the national anthem sung by Courtney West and performances by bagpiper Gemma Briggs. 

The solemn presentation kept in mind the fallen and current men and women who gave up their lives for the freedom of U.S. citizens.