Remembering those who serve
Published 4:10 pm Tuesday, November 13, 2018
Participants, including veterans and Prince Edward County representatives, stand with a monument that was unveiled Monday. Pictured are, from left, Dennis Merkle, William Bailey, Earl Swink, Paul Hill, Farmville District 701 Supervisor Jim Wilck, Judith Chantelois, Board of Supervisors Chairman Pattie Cooper-Jones, Craig Guthrie, Dan Pempel, Nancy Faxon, Erika Evans, Sarah Maddox Dunn and Ed Dunn.
Heaven Eldridge smiles during a ceremony honoring area veterans at Buckingham County Public Schools.
Vincent Earley spoke about his service during the Vietnam War during a ceremony held at the Prince Edward County High School auditorium.
Prince Edward County Public Schools’ National Junior Honor Society President Dima Hamza addresses the audience during a celebration of area veterans Monday.
Army Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Joseph Seiler addresses an audience of veterans, community members and students during a ceremony Monday.
Families, schools, organizations and communities throughout Prince Edward, Buckingham and Cumberland counties recently held events to honor those who served in the Marine Corps, the Navy, the Air Force, the Army and the Coast Guard.
BUCKINGHAM
Students from Buckingham Elementary School and Buckingham Primary School performed for area veterans Monday, waving flags and bursting into song. Veterans also enjoyed a reception and refreshments after the event.
CUMBERLAND
The Cumberland Ruritan Club and cadets the Cumberland County Public Schools JROTC presented the colors and participated in a breakfast Monday for veterans at Cumberland Volunteer Fire Department, located at 30 Old Buckingham Road. The purpose of the breakfast for veterans, according to documentation announcing the event, was “to celebrate your service to our country.” A Veterans Day remembrance ceremony was also held at Cumberland County Elementary School.
PRINCE EDWARD/FARMVILLE
The American Legion Post 32, with the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7059, the Piedmont Area Veterans Council, the Heart of Virginia Community Band and the High Bridge Trail State Park, held a 100th anniversary celebration on Sunday of the Armistice that occurred in 1918 that marked the end of World War I.
In between selections from members of the band, Ed Dunn with the American Legion and Craig Guthrie with High Bridge Trail State Park spoke about local service members’ impacts on the war, including soldiers Henry Threat and Jack Garland.
Following the ceremony, participants headed inside the train station for refreshments, including an array of cupcakes shaped to look like an American flag, and equipment and memorabilia from various wars, including a gas mask and cantines from 1918.
Students from Prince Edward County Public School’s National Junior Honor Society organized an event to honor veterans throughout the county Monday morning at the Prince Edward County High School auditorium.
Honor Society students spoke about sacrifices and bravery demonstrated by veterans, including a poem.
Veterans in the audience, including Prince Edward County Public Schools staff introduced themselves and which branch of the armed services they were in.
Chere Hill asked members of the audience to remember veterans’ families, including their spouses, parents and siblings.
At 11 a.m., community members, veterans and students at Fuqua School gathered at Crute Stage in Farmville as the Fuqua School band played patriotic selections. The speaker for the event was Lieutenant colonel (LTC) Joe Seiler, who served, among other ways, through being deployed to Taji, Iraq as the 3rd Infantry Division Dental Surgeon.
He currently is a general dentist practicing in Dillwyn.
Seiler spoke about the importance of service, both for veterans and the community, and how everyone, including children, can adopt a lifestyle of serving one another.
“I challenge students here today to pick up your flag and serve,” Seiler said. “Serve your parents. Serve by cleaning your room without being asked. Serve by being kind to your brother and sister. Serve by taking out the trash. Serve your community … Serve all by being honorable and respectful … You will build stronger communities and create a happier society we would all love to be a part of. ”
Following the ceremony at Crute Stage, participants gathered at the Prince Edward County Courthouse to dedicate a memorial remembering those in the Farmville area who died in World War I.
Farmville representative Jim Wilck with the Prince Edward County Board of Supervisors spoke about his father’s experience as a veteran, who was wounded by mustard gas and received an award that is similar to today’s Purple Heart. Wilck said approximately 4 million U.S. soldiers mobilized during WWI, and approximately 116,708 American personnel died in combat from wounds and from influenza that swept the world during that time.
There are 24 names of Prince Edward County residents who died in WWI on the monument, which will be located at the courthouse by the monument of WWII veterans and the monument in conflicts after WWII, such as the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the Iraq War.
A reception was held for veterans and participants at Red Door 104 Gallery.
The American Legion Post is raising funds to support the cost of the memorial through selling raffle tickets. Purchasing a ticket can give a participant a chance to win $1,500. To learn more, contact Dan Pempel at (434) 391-1250.
