RCC Veterans Day Ceremony honors military heroes
Our Nations heroes were honored today at Robeson Community College during its 2022 Veterans Day ceremony.
The ceremony, traditionally held outdoors, was moved indoors due to rain from remnants of Hurricane Nicole, but that did not dampen the patriotic spirit found inside.
“104 years ago, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, the fighting in the World War I was ended by an armistice,” stated Dr. LaRonda Lowery, assistant vice president for instructional services at RCC. “Today, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, we honor the men and women who have served in the US Armed Forces on Veterans Day.”
The Robeson County Veterans Honor Guard did the honor of the presentation of colors, setting the flags upon the stage, which was followed by the presentation of the wreath by one of RCC’s Basic Law Enforcement Training cadet.
Sherry Lofton, an instructor at Robeson Community College, gave remarks and explained the meaning of the forget-me-not flowers, which were passed out to each person attending.
“The forget-me-not flower is a small blue flower that often grows in fields,” Lofton stated. “According to the Disabled American Veterans Chapter 15 of Pahrump Nevada, the idea behind the Forget-Me-Not flower grew out of an image carried home from the First World War in the memories of soldiers who had seen spring flowers growing among the graves of comrades and allies killed in the fighting. The scene, with its promise of new life following the sacrifices of so many, captured the hearts of people yearning for peace.”
Retired Senior Master Sergeant Bruce Grant Lewis served as the keynote speaker for the event. Lewis served 26 years in the Air Force and was in charge of the first diplomatic release of American Prisoners of War on February 12, 1973. The release was called Operation Homecoming.
“We did everything in the world that we could to get it right,” stated Lewis as he spoke about the release of POW’s during the Vietnam War. “We wanted everyone out.”
“The very first prisoner we got released was Everette Alvarez. He had been in prison for 8 years and 6 months,” stated Lewis. “They didn’t know what had happened to him.”
From February through March of 1973, Operation Homecoming resulted in the release of 566 American military personnel, including 513 of the 591 listed by the Department of Defense as Prisoners of War and 53 that had been identified as Missing In Action, 25 were civilians and 67 were US Army Soldiers.
Lewis invited members of the audience to engage with him after the ceremony if they had any questions or wanted to know more about his experience.
Following his speech, the Robeson County Veterans Honor Guard performed a 21-gun salute outside the building, presented the folding of the flag which was explained in detail, and a rendition of Taps was played.
At the end of the ceremony, cupcakes were served in the Military Affiliated Resource Center by the RCC Foundation. The event was organized by Rudy T. Locklear, the director of BLET and Criminal Justice at RCC, who served as the master of ceremony.
To see more photos, please visit the RCC Facebook page by clicking here.
