Remembering the fallen

It poured down rain for several minutes during the keynote address at Monday’s Memorial Day ceremony in Clinton, some fitting tears from the heavens during a solemn tribute to veterans who paid the ultimate price in service to this country. The show went on, the sun shone through and the rain was quick to dry, allowing a clean canvas upon which flowers could be placed one by one for those fallen veterans in Sampson County.

The ceremony was held under tents next to the Sampson County Veterans Park, which is adjacent to a county-owned property that is currently in the process of being sold. Despite the pending sale and the subdividing of the property where the former Emergency Management Services was once headquartered, local veterans were assured the park would be preserved.

It was kept right where it has been on U.S. 701 Business and Underwood Street, and on Monday, it was the site of what longtime Veterans Service Officer Ann Knowles deemed the largest Memorial Day ceremony yet.

“Veterans are not forgotten in Sampson County; they are not forgotten,” Knowles proudly attested, looking over the many in attendance. “We love each and every one of you. I look at these veterans, the Vet Council — we have grown, to now all of these organizations are a part of it. They strive every month to make sure everything is right for the veterans.”

During the ceremony, local veterans with the VFW Post 7547, American Legion Post 319. the Sampson County Veterans Council and others, along with many civilians, paid tribute to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.

Soloist De-Ondra Peterson delivered a rousing rendition of the National Anthem to open up the ceremony, and Andrea Goodman, president of the Sampson County Veterans Council, made a special mention of Tex Howard, who was a mainstay at Memorial Day and Veterans Day event in Sampson for decades. Howard passed away earlier this year.

Sampson native Dwight Miller, U.S. Army Major (Ret.), gave the keynote speech, sharing his story and imploring others to share theirs.

From Delway and a Union High graduate, Miller attended UNC-Pembroke on a basketball scholarship and was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant in 1989. Miller was a paratrooper and a transportation and logistics officer, who, along with a number of domestic locations, served stints in Haiti, Iraq, Egypt, Korea and Washington, D.C., where he retired in 2006.

Miller alluded to the dark skies and the ominous winds that, as a veteran paratrooper at Fort Bragg, was a solid indication the “mission would be scratched.” He trudged on, however, and talked about what it takes to become a great veteran — foundation, motivation, dedication and loyalty.

“This is about my life, but this can easily be you as a veteran, or someone serving your country or community,” said Miller, who grew up the ninth of 10 children. He talked about his life growing up as a “farm boy” in southern Sampson, his influences along the way, including Rep. Larry Bell and storied teacher and coach Nathan Gay; his family now, including wife Terrace, their children and grandchildren; and his career in between.

During his speech, the rain began to trickle and then pour, as Miller pulled the lectern under the tent and others huddled around the rim of the canopy.

“They say in the Army, if it ain’t raining, it ain’t training,” Miller joked, who told stories of being a paratrooper, saying he never figured out, even with hundreds of jumps, “why someone would jump out of a perfectly good plane.”

Miller thanked the veterans, their spouses and the many who aid veterans on a daily basis, including Knowles, who he said has helped “thousands and thousands of veterans,” as well as the Veterans Service Office’s Sherry Hope, the Veterans Council and others.

“To my veterans, you have been through many battles and you have fought and won. But, at the end of the day, the rest is not your battle. It’s His,” said Miller. “God bless, Godspeed, I love my veterans.”

During the calling of names, Goodman and Curtis Tyndall Jr., president and vice president of the Sampson County Veterans Council, read through the names of fallen veterans with local ties, from the Civil War, through the world wars and present foreign conflicts that have spanned the better part of the past two centuries. They took turns reading groups of names, each a man or woman who left loved ones behind and paid the ultimate price.

Over the course of the next 15 minutes, each of those veterans was honored with a red or a white carnation that was placed on the ground by veterans. After the names were read, Goodman and Tyndall laid a wreath.

Pastor Dr. Thaddeus Godwin, an Air Force vet, offered the closing prayer, while the firing squad delivered a final salute and tribute, followed by ‘Taps’ from Avon Jones of VFW Post 7547. Dwight Elmore provided music and refreshments were provided by the American Legion Post 319 Ladies Auxiliary. The floral arrangements were courtesy of The Atrium Florist and Gifts of Clinton.

During the event, Roger Wells, a Vietnam veteran, offered an impromptu poem called “This old hat,” which he penned back in 2021.

“This hat I hold in my hand — a lot of you guys out there have the same hat, maybe it has a little more decoration than mine has, but 58 years ago, I chose to serve my country at a time when it was not popular.”

“You may ask me why I wear this old hat, so I want you to sit back and I’ll tell you about that,” Wells recited. “This hat I wear means a lot to me, because it represents a reason why we are free. This hat stands for the ones who paid the price … I want you to know how I played my part to keep us free, so this hat I wear — Vietnam veteran — helps me understand what it means to be free. It also makes me feel good when I hear somebody say ‘thank you for your service.’ It’s been 58 years, and now that I’m getting older, this old hat makes sure that I don’t get the old cold shoulder. You see, this old hat might be tattered and it might be torn, and it may some day get tossed away, but it’s still a reminder of the sacrifice that we paid so far away.”