COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- More than 200 people gathered on a picture-perfect day Nov. 12 to honor veterans during the 2016 Columbus Veterans Day wreath-laying ceremony in Columbus, Mississippi.
Col. Douglas Gosney, 14th Flying Training Wing Commander, spoke at the event that included Columbus Air Force Base Airmen and local officials, veterans and residents.
“Let me begin by thanking you for taking time out of your Saturday to join me today as we honor and thank our veterans for all they have sacrificed on behalf of this great nation,” he said. “We are here to remember the sacrifices of those who have died and to honor those who are still with us. We owe so much to our veterans, and it is a debt we can never truly repay. We owe them for our very way of life, our freedom to live, work and raise our families.”
Gosney highlighted a few veterans, including the oldest local veteran and Caledonia resident Private First Class Bradford Freeman, who attended the ceremony.
“Thinking back to World War II, there were more than 16 million Americans that served in that conflict,” he said. “This group of American heroes has been called our greatest generation and we owe them an incredible debt. With us today is Private First Class Bradford Freeman, one of those surviving veterans of the D-Day invasion of Normandy. Last weekend, Mr. Freeman along with seven other veterans who fought in France, were awarded the French Legion of Honor at the French consulate in Nashville, Tennessee. From D-Day to Market Garden, to Bastone in the Battle of the Bulge, Private Freeman was there.”
He then talked about today’s Airmen.
“Our men and women in uniform have answered and continue to answer the call in the finest tradition of the greatest generation,” Gosney said. “On this Veterans Day, we find ourselves as a nation still at war. Members of our Armed forces continue the tradition of those heroes who served before them.”
“Our enemy is determined to destroy America and all she stands for,” he continued. “The forces of freedom will prevail. We know they will because our men and women continue to serve with distinction and honor.”
Flanked by Columbus Mayor Robert Smith and President of the Lowndes County Supervisors Harry Sanders, Gosney and Freeman then laid the ceremonial wreath at the Veterans Memorial.
Other elements of the ceremony were also sprinkled with a mingling of yesterday’s, today’s and tomorrow’s heroes. Airmen from the 14th Flying Training Wing Honor Guard and cadets from the West Lowndes High School Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps posted the Colors and played Taps. Two Columbus Air Force Base T-38 Talon aircraft performed a flyover. R.J. Childers from American Legion Post 69 performed the POW/MIA chair covering, and two formations – one of local veterans and one of 14th FTW Airmen – stood at parade rest, watching over the event.
Michelle Dupler is a Columbus resident whose father-in-law participated in the veteran formation.
“Today’s ceremony was wonderful. This was my first time coming and I think it went very well,” she said. “If it wasn’t for our veterans serving for us, we wouldn’t be free today.”