Pantex hosts ceremony honoring veterans, staff in celebration of National Armed Forces Day
Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC (CNS) and the U.S. Department of Energy and National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA), along with military veterans and Pantex employees, came together in recognition of the upcoming Armed Forces Day, honored annually May 21. The local ceremony was held Tuesday morning inside the John C. Drummond Center (JCDC) at the Pantex plant.
"The importance (of celebrating Armed Forces Day) is multifaceted. It's a big day for the country; it's a way that the company can come together to honor all of the services. It's significant because we want to not only honor every individual, but especially those who currently work at the plant, those that are veterans, those that have given their lives for our country and those that are on active duty," said Jeff Yarbrough, vice president and site manager for the Pantex Plant at the ceremony.
According to Yarbrough, 24% of the Pantex workforce are veterans, which equates to almost 1,000 individuals. During the ceremony, Pantex also honored their three current military officials deployed in active duty.
At the Tuesday event, the Pantex Department Honor Guard presented the Texas and United States flags and led the pledge of allegiance and National Anthem.
After the presentation, Jessica Valdez, program specialist in stockpile programs for CNS, presented the POW/MIA memoriam and symbolism for each item on the table.
The symbolism included a small table to recognize the frailty of one individual against their oppressors, with a white table cloth in honor of the purity of those individuals' intentions to their country's call to arms. A single, red rose displayed in a vase tied with a red ribbon was a symbol in honor of the family and loved ones awaiting their return, and proper accounting of the missing. A lit candle stood for the upward reach of their spirit; a bread plate with a slice of lemon and salt as a reminder of their bitter fate and the families' tears as they wait; an inverted wine glass, because they are not with us to toast; and an empty chair to represent their absence.
"I think it is important that we honor our POWs and MIA comrades, because we can't forget the service that they provided, and also, they gave their lives for that mission and for our country," said Valdez. "Recognizing them is so important, and I love the symbolism of that table and everything it represents. Everything on there is there for a reason; it's very powerful and beautiful once you understand the meaning."
Afterward, guest speaker Tom Hayden, Vice President for Safeguard Security and Emergency Services for CNS, spoke about his time in the Armed Forces and the teamwork and camaraderie that he has seen throughout the years, not only amongst those who have served, but those affiliated as well.
"I had the opportunity to deploy several times and saw the teamwork required for each service to do their part and fulfill their unique mission. ... When you carry that into our environment and the work that we do, the teamwork is really evident and local," Hayden said.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Pantex recognizes military with National Armed Forces Day ceremony
