Airmen, city of Columbus celebrate Veterans Day

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Keith Holcomb
  • 14th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. --  Airmen from Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi, participated with the city of Columbus in a Veterans Day parade and ceremony Nov. 11.

The Airmen marched with other veterans from around the area as well as other organizations and schools. Following the parade was a ceremony which included a wreath laying by Col. Douglas Gosney, 14th Flying Training Wing Commander; former Spc. Roy Fuqua, World War II veteran; Columbus Vice Mayor Bill Gavin, Supervisor Harry Sanders, Lowndes County District One President.

Members of the West Lowndes High School Air Force Junior ROTC Honor Guard also presented the colors and playing of taps during the ceremony. After a moment of silence a formation of T38 Talons from Columbus AFB flew overhead.

Chief Master Sgt. Bradley Reilly, 14th Operations Group Superintendent, spoke to the audience after the flyover, and shared a story of a friend who died during a firefight in Afghanistan years ago. He, like many other veterans had seen and dealt with the sacrifices many have made to keep America safe.

“What is it about service, what drives men and women to voluntarily endure hardship, to risk it all, to put themselves in harm’s way?” Reilly asked. “Spirit. The spirit of the American warfighter is to go forward, forward to those unknown places, to take the fight to those wishing to do us harm, or our way of life, to wage war in another land, to do things and see things that no one should ever have to do or see and to do it all so that those we cherish here at home, do not have to.”

Reilly also spoke about how that spirit was instilled in the men and women who fought more than 200 years ago during the birth of America, men and woman sacrificed their lives to be free. He referenced one iconic event in particular, the crossing of the Delaware.

“We stand here today free people only because of the strength and fortitude of those men on that Christmas night shivering on the banks of the Delaware staring across the darkness into the unknown,” Reilly said.

Continuing he honored the determination of the past generations of service members, reminding the audience of the many men and woman who helped bring America to what it is today. The amount of service members on the home front and overseas who allowed our families to stay safe for so many generations.

“No single military power in the history of the world has done greater good, shown greater courage … or have upheld higher standards of decency and valor than the armed forces of the United States of America,” Reilly said.