Memorial Day Celebration to honor ‘invaluable’ heroes
Published 12:00 am Thursday, May 24, 2018
- Sgt. Brett Miller plays taps at the Memorial Day at the VA National Cemetery in 2016. Wayne Hinshaw/Salisbury Post file photo
SALISBURY — Retired Master Sgt. Dean Moore said all military positions are important.
“I don’t care how small or how big your job is. I don’t care if you put tires on the van or fly airplanes,” Moore said. “What they did in service is invaluable. If it wasn’t invaluable, the job wouldn’t have been there.”
Moore, who is president of the Rowan County Veterans Council, will be one of a number of speakers at Monday’s Memorial Day celebration at the Salisbury VA Medical Center National Cemetery.
The ceremony will start at 10 a.m. The cemetery is at 1601 Brenner Ave.
Ronnie Smith will be the keynote speaker.
Mayor Al Heggins and directors of the Salisbury VA Health Care System also will make remarks.
Martha Corriher will sing the national anthem and other songs.
Moore said there is a chance the ceremony might have to move inside because of bad weather. If so, it will be in Building 6 of the VA Health Care System.
Flag placement
Moore said residents are invited to help put flags on veterans’ gravestones beginning at 8 a.m. Saturday at the National Cemetery.
The old cemetery annex has about 5,000 graves, and the new cemetery has about 7,000 graves.
The Boy and Girl Scouts of America, local church youth groups and ROTC units will be among those who put flags on the grave of fallen soldiers and veterans.
“It’s a wonderful thing to see,” Moore said. “It was just amazing how much fun they were having.”
As soon as flags are placed, volunteers are invited to eat at the American Legion Post 342, located at 1024 Lincolnton Road.
Moore said volunteers should go to either the old annex or the new cemetery. In either cemetery, he said people should meet near the flagpoles.
Moore said those interested in planting flags should bring a Phillips head screwdriver to prepare the ground for the flags.
“You have to put it in first. (The flag) will go in easier,” Moore said.
For more information about the flag placement or the celebration, contact Moore at 704-754-3228 or Chairman Lewis Reid at 704-723-1639.
Contact reporter Jessica Coates at 704-797-4222.
