Letter to the Editor: Dr. Travis Towne - VFW Post 2771 Honors Memorial Day
For the past four years, my daughter and I have had the honor and privilege to attend the Memorial Day Weekend ceremonies hosted by VFW Post 2771 held at both the Lenoir County Courthouse on Queen Street and Walk of Honor on Heritage Street. This past Saturday, due to construction on Queen Street, the ceremony took place at the Walk of Honor, and after a brief ceremony to honor and remember those who have fought and died for our country, post members and volunteers split up to go to Lenoir County cemeteries and place donated flags on the gravesites of all veterans who have served their country.
Saturday, May 25, 2019; Walk of Honor. Submitted photo.
Volunteer organizer Maranda Cullen Vick got involved when she was asked by her aunt, a good friend of Mrs. Margaret Wade, to help get some volunteers to put out flags because “the veterans, some in their 80s and 90s were doing this by themselves.”
Mrs. Vick stated, “for the last 4 years I’ve been involved in recruiting, I guess you’d say, but it’s been such an eye opening experience, just to give back to those who have given so much. It’s just a small way to say thank you, and that the veterans aren’t forgotten.”
Saturday, May 25, 2019; Walk of Honor
VFW Post 2771, currently led by Commander Chris Canuette, has been placing flags on veteran graves for 35 years, and for many years local Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops have attended the ceremony and participated in placing flags in the cemeteries to honor veterans.
A recent quote from the VFW Post 2771 Facebook page states, “Children are never too young to learn to love and respect their country and those who fought for it.”
VFW Post 2771 Members salute a remembrance wreath at the Walk of Honor on Heritage Street.
A Girl Scout member reads a cemetery marker at Pinelawn Memorial Park.
The previous statement is exactly the reason why I make sure that my daughter attends events like this, because I want her to truly understand the sacrifice that has been made to allow her the opportunity to live in one of the greatest countries on earth. Whether she chooses in the future to serve in the military or not, I never want her to forget the importance of honoring those who have chosen to do so, and in the process, given the ultimate sacrifice.
The author and his daughter (Alexis Towne) placing flags at Pinelawn Memorial Park.
For more information about VFW Post 2771, please visit their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/VFW-Post-2771-219794054830751/.
The author and his dad (an Honor Guard member of the American Legion Post #104 in Sevierville TN).
About the author: Dr. Travis Towne teaches history for Lenoir County Public Schools and is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. His father and grandfather served in Vietnam and World War II respectively, and he can trace his family lineage on both sides to the American Revolution.
