Grateful for Veterans Day programs, events
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Personally chosen veterans are honored each year as part of the “Quilts of Valor” program at Rockford’s Veterans Day luncheon.
The Weogufka Neighborhood Watch holds an annual ceremony for Veterans Day at the monument located at Memorial Loop.
I enjoyed the front-page article last week regarding the Veterans Day program at our Coosa County Schools. It truly is uplifting to know that our children are being exposed to the importance of our military veterans and the role they play in our country.
Patriotism has been on a decline for many years since much of our history has been deleted or reduced in our curriculums. Thank you to Superintendent David Stover Jr.; his wife, Debi; and the educators here in Coosa County for making sure our children are exposed to this very important part of their civics education.
Veterans Day is recognized on November 11 each year, and celebrations are held all across the country – churches, cemeteries, military installations, and monuments. I missed the coverage of two other celebrations here in Coosa County that have been ongoing for years. The Town of Rockford hosts a luncheon for our military veterans and their spouses each year, and our Weogufka Neighborhood Watch group holds a ceremony on the Sunday before Veterans Day at their memorial in front of the old school.
I started attending the luncheon about 10 years ago in Rockford with my husband who was a U.S. Navy veteran of the Vietnam Conflict. At that time we still had quite a few World War II veterans who were recognized each year. Each year we have lost these survivors of the Greatest Generation with Mr. Joe Collins passing away just before Veterans Day and being buried on Veterans Day last week. He will be greatly missed.
Town Hall has attempted through the years to maintain a list of Coosa County veterans and the periods they served under. Each known veteran’s name is read aloud. Also, individual veterans are chosen to be honored personally each year.
This year they recognized William C. “Bill” Morris who is the last known Korean War veteran they are aware of. The others recognized this year were the first to be recognized from the Vietnam Era. They were Ronnie Abrams, Army; Tom Reichert, Navy; Terry Wilson and Ran Wilson, both Air Force.
Several years ago Mrs. Dorothy Dunlap and the Town of Rockford started a “Quilts of Valor” program to provide each veteran with a handmade quilt to honor their service to our country. As the “sister-person” of Terry and Ran Wilson I was honored to be asked to wrap each of them in their quilt. They are my brother and sister from “other mothers,” and I love them dearly!
At the end of the program a slideshow put together by David Stover Jr. (a veteran himself) showed pictures of the known veterans from Coosa County. It is amazing to me to see the generations of veterans in so many of our families. I can’t begin to list those families, but I am so grateful for their heritage of service to our country through the years.
The Veterans Program in Weogufka is held at the monument along County Road 29 that has been erected and added to through the years. This was my first time attending this service after having my husband, David Larry McDade, added to the monument. I felt it was fitting since we had found that he is a descendant from the Weogufka area.
The Neighborhood Watch, along with members of the American Legion from Sylacauga, lead a very touching program that includes the reading of all the names on the monument. Again, it’s so touching to see the people who attend and participate in these ceremonies.
To the best of my knowledge, Weogufka and Rockford have the only veteran memorials in Coosa County. The one in Rockford is behind the Old Jail building and is maintained by the Coosa County Historical Society. Ever so often each of the groups will add names to their monuments paid for by the veteran or family members. If you are interested please contact them to be placed on a list to be added.
As we move toward Thanksgiving next week I hope we can all be thankful for the blessings of living in a small rural county that holds the old values of our country. By recognizing our veterans, law enforcement and first responders we are maintaining the backbone of our society. Without these heroes we would be living in anarchy. Anytime you see one of these service members, please thank them for what they do or have done to benefit us. A kind word goes a long way!