Annual Veterans Day ceremony held on Friday

Adelia Ladson, The Moultrie Observer, Ga.
·3 min read

Nov. 10—MOULTRIE — The annual Veterans Day ceremony was held Friday at the amphitheater on the courthouse square.

Tom Cox, president of the South Georgia Veterans Activity Committee, welcomed those gathered and asked the Rev. Richard Wright, commander of American Legion Post 324 and pastor of the First United Methodist Church, to pray. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited and then Staci DeRosso sang "The Star-Spangled Banner," a cappella.

Cox then drew attention to the red, white and blue flags that were set up around the courthouse square: "Those were all done by family members of those who are serving and those who have served and gone on."

He pointed out the table where people could get one of the flags and write their service member's name on it so that it could be placed, as well. He then introduced Funston Elementary School, who had brought their students to the event.

The Funston Elementary School third graders, led by their choir teacher, Judy Kimbrell, performed two patriotic songs, one about veterans. Keily Martinez, 9, performed a solo part during one of the songs.

Cox introduced Wright as the guest speaker for the morning. Wright started by thanking city and county officials, family and friends who gathered, the Funston Elementary School students and veterans. He then gave a short history of the establishment of Veterans Day.

"The Eighty-Third United States Congress amended the official holiday to be Veterans Day as a time to, not just honor the end of World War I, but also as a day to honor all American veterans who have served in war and in peace. Our veterans have borne the heavy cost of America's wars and the preparation of those wars when they came," he said.

He said that today he thanks all military past and present for standing on the walls to protect the country including the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard and Space Force.

"All deserve our thanks and our gratitude for doing a wonderful job in the defense of freedom here in the United States and across the globe," Wright said and asked the audience to applaud them.

He said that from the moment service members repeat the Oath of Enlistment or the Oath of Office to the day of their discharge, America and her interests came before all else.

"Including ourselves, families and friends. Through the good and not so good time we were members of the finest fighting force in the world," he continued.

He closed with "thank you all veterans for your dedication, your commitment and your service. And my prayer is that God blesses America and all who will defend her."

Sgt. Major Tom Davis directed the presentation of the wreaths by the different organizations. The wreaths would be placed at the Eternal Flame monument on the courthouse square after the ceremony.

"If you remember, driving through town, on your right up here is the flame. That flame was dedicated July 4, 1976 for the World War I veterans, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraqi Freedom and so on, and so on, up to today, This is for the men and women in our area that has given their lives for our country," he said.

Wreaths were placed in memory of the fallen soldiers of Colquitt County by American Legion Post 324, the Veterans Bus, the Second Brigade Alma, the VFW, the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Sons of the American Revolution, the Moultrie Federated Guild, the Society of Colonial Dames and the Moultrie Service League.