Auburn pays tribute to fallen veterans on Memorial Day

As MC for the annual Memorial Day ceremonies in Auburn and Newcastle, Bonnie Potter (RADM, MC, USN (ret.)) always shares the stories of an area veteran or two "we will never forget." On Monday, Potter talked about Army Specialist Harley Dean Andrews of Weimar and Midshipman Christopher Patrick Long, a Placer High School graduate. Both are buried at New Auburn Cemetery, and their families did the honor of laying the wreath at the Auburn Area War Memorial during the first of four ceremonies. Potter described Andrews as "a free spirit who liked to skateboard and have a good time." He enlisted in the Army after learning he was going to be a father, and his son Ayden was born in June 2005. Harley Andrews was deployed to Iraq with the 54th Engineering Battalion, 130th Engineer Brigade, as a machine gunner and later became a driver of an RG-31 vehicle, which was armored to protect against mines. But with a month to go in his tour, Andrews was on patrol 75 miles west of Baghdad on Sept. 11, 2006, when an "improvised device detonated underneath his vehicle during combat operations," according to Potter. Andrews died of his injuries, leaving behind wife Halley and son Ayden. "We've actually watched Ayden grow up because he's here almost every year," Potter said to the large crowd of people who gathered at New Auburn. Long was born Jan. 6, 1962, to David and Jacque Long. While his brothers were into rodeo, Chris played saxophone and was selected to be the drum major at Placer High School. After graduating in 1980, Long enlisted in the Navy, "serving on the Constellation, working the catapult and serving in the control tower," Potter said. He also was selected to attend the Naval Academy Prep School in Rhode Island and was accepted into the Naval Academy. Long was killed by a drunk driver while on leave on Nov. 6, 1983. His mother, Jackie, and brother Casey and Casey's family attended the ceremony. Recognizing Gold Star families, Potter said, "The family members, they suffered a lot that they live with every single day. Mothers and fathers, husbands and wives, sons and daughters, they made sacrifices so their loved ones could serve." Congressman Kevin Kiley, Placer County Supervisor Cindy Gustafson and Auburn City Councilmember Rachel Radell-Harris addressed the crowd. Youth organizations and volunteers worked Saturday to place American flags at the headstones of veterans in the cemeteries, "… more flags than I've ever seen both here and at the Old Auburn Cemetery (and they) got put out in record time," Potter said.