The
William F. Green, the Bill Nichols, and the Col. Robert L Howard State Veterans
Homes and the Alabama State Veterans Cemetery are extending a public invitation
to Memorial Day programs on Monday, May 29. These events will be a time to
celebrate the men and women who have served our nation faithfully, and to
remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice while standing on the front
lines of freedom.
The
W. F. Green ceremony will begin at 9:30
a.m. on the front portico of William F. Green State Veterans Home
at 300 Faulkner Drive in Bay Minette. Col Don Carmichael, a US Army veteran,
will deliver the keynote address. Throughout his 30-plus
military career, he rose from private to colonel, serving in five World War II
and three Korean and Vietnam campaigns. In World War II, he fought with the
113th Cavalry from Normandy to the Elbe River. During the Korean War, he
started out in Tank Company, 65th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Division. Then during
the Vietnam War, he was deputy commander of a task force in Vietnam. The program also includes a rose
ceremony for families of W. F. Green veterans who passed away in 2016. The Armed
Forces Honor Guard and Boy Scout Troop 78 will perform military honors with a
rifle salute and folding of the American Flag. State Rep. Randy Davis will
render Taps to conclude the program.
The
Bill Nichols ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. at 1784 Elkahatchee Road in Alexander
City. MSgt Timothy Fuller, the Security Forces manager at Maxwell AFB, will
deliver the keynote address to commemorate the Day of Remembrance. The 2001
graduate of Benjamin Russell High School has completed 16 years of active
service including four deployments in support of Operation Southern Watch,
Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The program will also include
a rose ceremony for families of Bill Nichols veterans who passed away in 2016.
The
Colonel Howard events begin at 10:30 a.m. at 7054 Veterans Parkway. US Marine
Corps Sergeant Major Tom Hodge will be the guest speaker. The Sergeant Major served
two tours of duty in Vietnam, receiving the Bronze Star for action in combat. He
retired from the Marines after serving 30 years and recently retired from the Jefferson
County public school system where he taught high school juniors American
History.
The
Alabama State Veterans Cemetery in Spanish Fort will host a ceremony beginning
at 11 a.m. in remembrance of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. The Daphne
High School Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps will present the colors,
Cub Scout Pack 177 will lead the pledge, and Ms. Charmein Kinnison Moser will
sing the National Anthem. Sgt. Bill Bergman, Military Order of the Purple Heart
command, will lay the wreath—a tradition honoring all U.S. service members who
lost their lives in defense of the United States. The ceremony also features a
flag folding ceremony, a dove release, and an Honor Guard salute.
Everyone
is invited to attend these special remembrances.