Veterans Day ceremony encourages community to remember, honor and teach
City of Mauldin event features stories of service and survival
MAULDIN, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - A Veterans Day ceremony at the Mauldin Cultural Center had a crowd packed under and around a tent and focused on a podium.
Gregory Saxton, Mauldin’s assistant city administrator welcomed the crowd and Pastor Wade Leonard of Mauldin First Baptist Church gave the opening prayer.
Mauldin High School’s Naval Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps handled the presentation of colors before Kati Lippman sang multiple verses of the “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
Officer Jeremy Edwards and Lt. Josh Rogers of the Mauldin Police Department led the Pledge of Allegiance.
Mayor Terry Merritt, an Air Force veteran, talked about the history and meaning of Veterans Day and the importance of honoring members of the armed forces.
“Thank you for what you’ve done,” Mayor Terry Merritt said to current and past service members before introducing the keynote speakers.
Alan Kan, son of a Holocaust survivor, described how American forces freed his father from a concentration camp in Poland.
“In our family, we call you the ‘righteous among the nations’ - those who would sacrifice everything to save others,” Kan said. “We will never forget you.”
John Rosello, a Marine who now serves as president of Vets Helping Vets, spoke about ways anyone can honor military members.
“Give back from the heart when you tell them that you appreciate (them),” he said.
Michael Ray Twitchell, who served in the Navy and later worked as a project manager for the Flour Corporation, was the final keynote speaker. He encouraged the crowd to teach younger generations about the contributions of the military but ended with a message for veterans.
“Thank you for your patriotism, self-sacrifice, your dedication to our country. You are appreciated and always will be remembered,” he said.
The ceremony wrapped up with Stephen Goshorn, 2nd Vice Commander of American Legion Post 271, singing a medley of anthems for each branch of the military and Scott McCrary performing taps.
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