Columbus AFB and community honor veterans

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Charles Dickens
  • 14th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. --  Columbus Air Force Base and the local community came together the morning of Nov. 10 to honor military veterans during the 2012 Lowndes County Veterans Day Parade and Ceremony.

The parade began at the Police Complex on Main Street in downtown Columbus and ended at the Lowndes County Courthouse, where the ceremony began. Col. Jim Sears, 14th Flying Training Wing Commander was the guest speaker for this ceremony.

"We gather here today to honor those men and women who have worn our nation's uniform," said Sears. "More importantly, we join to thank them for their service and devotion to duty."

Sears said that since 1776 there have been approximately 48 million men and women who have worn an American uniform. All of those service members have had one thing in common during their time in service: "Whether they served during time of war or peace, our service members all share a common bond: their unwavering belief in the cause of freedom; a belief so strong that they were willing to give their lives, if needed, in its defense."

Also in attendance was the Alpha Battery, 2nd Battalion, 14th Field Artillery Regiment of the Mississippi Army National Guard who returned from a deployment in March of 2010. They too shared the belief in the cause of freedom with all other service members and acted on it during their deployment to Iraq by completing over 350 missions downrange and had zero casualties.

"Our veterans are living examples of what it means to be good," said Sears. "They have given us a lifetime of service and our country has been enriched by their contributions both in and out of uniform."

The Veterans Day ceremony was opened by the posting of the colors, executed by the Columbus AFB honor guard, followed by the Mississippi University for Women chorale group's rendition of the National Anthem and an invocation led by Maj. Leslie Janovec, Chaplain.

R.H. Brown, narrator for the 2012 ceremony, then led the POW/MIA Prayer ceremony where a POW/MIA flag was placed on an empty chair to honor those that could not attend. A moment of silence followed the prayer.

A flyover was executed by the 37th Flying Training Squadron following the moment of silence. The two T-6A Texan II's in the formation were honoring Armistice Day, the precursor to the current Veterans Day which was developed to honor veterans of World War I, by flying over the ceremony at the 11th minute of the 11th hour. Armistice Day commemorated the agreement between the World War I allies and Germany that took effect Nov. 11 at 11 a.m. in 1918.

Following the speech, Col. Sears, assisted the oldest service member, Joel McAdams, and the youngest service member, Airman 1st Class Jason Laufer, 14th Civil Engineer Squadron, with the laying of a wreath at a memorial dedicated to U.S. armed forces outside of the Columbus courthouse.

After the wreath was laid, Staff Sgt. Chris Jones, 14th Security Forces Squadron played Taps with a bugle. At the last note of Taps, Larry Priest, assisted by a local Cub Scouts of America group, released doves into the air which marked the ending of the ceremony.

"To all veterans and their families we say thank you," said Sears. "Thank you for your sacrifices and sense of duty and for your service. We are the greatest nation on Earth because of you."