Gathering to honor those who have served
Vearl Pennington closes the ceremony in a tribute playing “Taps.”
Photo by Tisha Emmons.
The eleventh day, eleventh month and eleventh hour a group of family, friends, youth and peers gathered together to give honor to those who have served and are currently serving to protect our country and freedom on the courthouse lawn in Owingsville.
Mayor Gary Hunt welcomed the crowd and the National Anthem was played by Bath County High School Band under the direction of Robert Rawlings.
Sonny Rawlings presented the 2015 Bath County Community Service Volunteer Award. “Today we think of those who did things to make us thankful. We can be thankful for the kindness of a neighbor, for the helping hand of a stranger, for the aid of a brother and the service of a veteran. There are volunteers in every community that make lives better because of their service,” said Rawlings. This year’s award was presented to Steve Becraft.
Becraft has been a volunteer coach of Little League baseball and basketball teams, organized and worked on May Day floats for many years, has been updating Jones Park where Bath County sports can be played, a member of Salt Lick Homecoming committee, Masonic Lodge member, assisted with the EMT’s and paramedics Olympics, member of Stull Cemetery board and a member of Salt Lick and Olympia Springs volunteer fire departments.
Boy Scout Troop 222 led the group in the Pledge of Allegiance and Presentation of Colors and Cub Scout Troop 222 placed the memorial wreaths.
After musical selections played by the Bath County High School Band ensemble and the Bath County High School choir Mayor Hunt then recognized the local veterans. The only WWII veteran present was Chester Kelt. He was presented a Pictorial History of World War II. The country is losing 492 WWII veterans a day. More than 16 million Americans participated in WWII, now only 800,000 are surviving nationwide. “Throughout our nation’s history America’s soldiers, sailors, the airmen, the marines, coast guardsmen had bravely answered the call to defend our freedom to aid our friends and allies and turn back aggressors. We can never fully repay our debt of gratitude to the more than 650,000 American service members who have died in battle, or the 1.4 million that have been wounded. We can however recognize and thank the 25 million veterans that are living today,” stated Mayor Hunt.
“These words are inscribed on the Korean War memorial in Washington, D.C. —‘Our nation honors our sons and daughters who answered the call to defend a country they never knew and a people they never met.’ And those words apply equally to our many WWI, WWII, Vietnam war, Gulf war veterans as well, and they still apply today to our active duty service members, tomorrow’s veterans, who are helping to maintain peace throughout the world. And today it is our privilege to stand here among you veterans and say thank you to all of you and let you know we appreciate you so much for your service and we honor you for your sacrifices. The price of freedom is high we cannot afford to forget those who were willing pay. Today we celebrate our veterans for keeping our nation the land of the free and home of the brave,” Hunt said.
The Bath County High School Band played the songs of each of the military branches and as the different songs played each member that served in that branch stood up and waved flags along with the crowd celebrating in their service.
In closing Vearl Pennington played Taps and Rev. Chris Bailey of Owingsville Baptist Church dismissed the group in a prayer.
