The City of Grovetown held its annual Veterans Day Ceremony Monday on a cold and windy morning at Veterans Park, where residents, city leaders, and local veterans gathered to honor those who have served in the United States Armed Forces.
The event featured remarks from city officials and guest speakers who reflected on the meaning of service and sacrifice. Coffee and pastries were provided courtesy of the city and local businesses, as attendees filled the park under clear skies for the hour-long ceremony.
City Administrator welcomes veterans and families
City Administrator Elaine Mathews opened the program by welcoming guests and sharing a heartfelt reflection on the meaning of military service and what a veteran is.
“A veteran is someone who at one point in their life wrote a blank check payable to the United States of America for an amount up to and including their life,” said Matthews.
Matthews would go on to read Johnny Cash’s Ragged Old Flag poem before turning it over to the Grovetown High School JROTC Color Guard for the Presentation of the Colors.
Councilman Bowman talks origins of holiday
Councilman Richard Bowman spoke about the origins of the holiday, tracing it back to World War I.
“Veterans Day began as Armistice Day, marking the signing of an armistice that provided a temporary cessation of hostilities between Allied nations and Germany,” Bowman said. “It was signed on Nov. 11, 1918 at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.”
He reminded attendees that Veterans Day continues to be a reminder of gratitude.
“We remember, not because we have to, but because we want to,” Bowman said. “The freedoms we enjoy every day were secured by people who were, and still are, willing to risk everything for this country.
Pastor’s message connects faith to duty
Pastor Elliott Norman of Clifford Memorial Presbyterian Church also spoke to the audience and drew from the scripture to describe the depth of a veteran’s sacrifice.
Quoting John 15:13, Norman said, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
“That verse is not just a line in the Bible, it is the very definition of the sacrifice and selfless spirit of a veteran.” Norman added.
The ceremony concluded with closing remarks from Matthews and a performance by the Grovetown High School Wind Ensemble conducted by Robert Whitaker.
