In Fayetteville, remembering the history, reason for Veterans Day
A small crowd gathered Thursday for a Veterans Day ceremony at Freedom Memorial Park in Fayetteville, located on Bragg Boulevard across from the Airborne & Special Operations Museum.
The event featured a wreath laying ceremony, color guard performance and guest speakers. It followed the community’s larger celebration – a parade through downtown – that took place last weekend.
Fort Bragg is the largest military base in the country by population, home to more than half a million active-duty soldiers, and 100,000 or more military retirees live in the surrounding area.
"Freedom is not free, and it's the solider who carries the loan," said Don Talbot, Freedom Memorial Park curator.
Armistice Day was first celebrated on Nov. 11, 1919, which was the first anniversary of the end of World War I. In 1926, Congress passed a resolution for an annual observance. In 1938, Nov. 11 became a national holiday.
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In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed legislation changing the name to Veterans Day in order to honor veterans of all American wars. The day is to honor those who have died fighting as well as those who survived.
Veterans like Grilley Mitchell, who was present at the event, paid tribute to the veterans of World War II.
"Most of them were my mentors, and I look up to those guys ... they're the reason why I served in the military, because they led the way for me," Mitchell said. "They nurtured me, they trained me and encouraged me to serve and defend this country."
The event was sponsored by the Cross Creek Briarwood Garden Club, which has placed a wreath at the base of the Blue Star Memorial Highway Marker at the park each Veterans Day since 2005 as a tribute to all members of the Armed Forces who served in defense of our country.
Across the street at the Airborne and Special Operations Museum dozens of flags form what's call A Field of Honor. Each flag represents a member of the armed forces who proudly served.
Among the scheduled speakers Thursday was retired Col. Walton Harris Walker III, also known as “Buck.”
“Veterans Day is a day on which we join together as a nation to officially recognize, honor and demonstrate our appreciation for those members of our nation who have served in the uniformed military services – the United States Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard – for their unique service to defend our nation against all enemies foreign and domestic,” said Walker.
Walker said Veterans Day is important for two reasons: “First, it honors and shows our appreciation for those who served well, many of whom sacrificed much for it. It also demonstrates to our younger generations how important it is to us and how appreciative we are, as Americans, for those young people who are willing to serve in the military services."
Last weekend, the community participated in their annual Fayetteville Veterans Day Parade, which was put on hold during 2020 due to the pandemic. WRAL's Gilbert Baez, a veteran himself, served as emcee of the parade. He was also emcee 23 years ago during the first parade.
