Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/131629
Memorial Day Honors the Sacrifice of Fallen Service Members by ERINN CRIDER Memorial Day is known to many as the official beginning of summer, but is a family-friendly event because families are affected. The soldiers are husbands, it is so much more. Every year on the final Monday of May people across brothers and grandfathers ... mothers, even," Talbot said. the nation set aside a day and remember the sacrifices that brave men and The entire community has rallied for this ceremony. There is no one single women have made to the country by serving group that is solely supporting the ceremony, in the Armed Forces. This tradition has but rather a multitude of people gathering to been observed since the Civil War. Being a honor the nation's veterans. military town, Memorial Day has a special "There are multiple people involved. There importance to the Fayetteville community. will be a chaplain, a guest speaker, a firing Accordingly, the community also has squad from the 82nd Airborne Division, a incredible Memorial Day celebrations. bugler and wreath presenters. There are lots Don Talbot, the event organizer, has of groups in this, not just one core group. It something in common with many people in is a true cross spectrum of the community," the Fayetteville community — prior military Talbot explains. service. It is because of this prior service that It is this great community support that has this Memorial Day Ceremony holds such allowed the ceremony to grow. Originally, it importance to him, and he continues to help began as a small ceremony of less than 100 organize it year after year. people in the City Hall Plaza in 1999. Now Talbot spoke about his passions for the ceremony is held in Freedom Memorial Memorial Day by saying, "I am a retired Park, which is dedicated expressly to veterans. veteran, and it is touching for me to say thanks Last year more than 800 people attended. because I made it out after three years in The park now has bleachers that seat 300 Vietnam with only two Purple Hearts. At some and there are restroom facilities available. point you just have to look back and think There is parking close by for the disabled, and Being a military town, Memorial Day has a special importance to the about all the comrades you left behind." additional parking at the Airborne and Special Fayetteville community. Talbot expresses this passion every year by Operations Museum. working tirelessly to create an incredibly moving The ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. on ceremony for all of Fayetteville. It is a time to Monday, May 27 at Freedom Memorial reflect on the sacrifices of the men and women in our community who gave their Park. The park is located at 101 Bragg Blvd. For more information, lives in defense of our nation. The ceremony will embrace the true meaning of the contact Talbot at 867-7776. Admission is day, and will be held in the park that is expressly dedicated to their honor. free and seating is limited. It is advised to ERINN CRIDER, Staff Writer, COMMENTS? Editor@upandcom"We want people to know that this is a formal military-oriented memorial bring lawn chairs. ingweekly.com. service to praise the missing and dead soldiers and those who have served. This 6 UCW MAY 22-28 2013 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM