ARLEY, Ala. – Meek High School held its Veterans Day program this Thursday in the high school gym. Principal Allan Henderson opened the event with a statement to the veterans, saying, “We can never say enough for your service in war and in peace and who unselfishly placed their lives on the line for our freedom. Thank you and God bless you.”
Drum major Suzie Feist led the Pledge of Allegiance which was followed by the National Anthem played by the Meek High School band.
Guest speaker and veteran Bob Cooper was an engineer during the Cold War and during Operation Desert Storm and retired from the U.S. Air Force. Cooper asked the crowd to consider how blessed they are. He said, “We are blessed beyond all measure. As a country we have the freedoms and opportunity to do things that many people in the world don’t have the opportunity to do.”
Cooper mentioned “November 11 was the armistice day after WW1. At the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month, peace broke out after WW1. It was called Armistice Day. In 1947, a man from Birmingham started Veterans Day…The Veteran’s Day parade which is still going now in Birmingham was the original Veterans Day celebration. In 1954, Veterans Day was announced as November 11 across the nation.”
The veterans in attendance were then shown a video and asked to stand whenever they heard their military branch’s song.
5th grader Carson Fincher then read a poem:
“Waving proudly in the breeze,
Standing so tall and true,
Is our beautiful flag of red, white and blue.
Because of your brave souls,
We have shed many a tear.
Tears of hope and tears of pain,
Of joy and admiration.
Thank you for your sacrifice
And for your dedication
We are grateful to be here as we bow our heads and pray,
Remembering all veterans as our country honors this day.”
The fourth and fifth grade classes also presented cards to the veterans. The veterans were all smiles while the kids walked through the rows and greeted them.
Band Director Zac Cleghorn read a list of fallen veterans, then he and Drum Major Suzie Feist played Taps.
Juanita Culler, deemed the “Banner Lady” by the town, started the business of hanging banners with pictures of veterans on posts throughout town. The cities of Addison and Good Hope were both inspired by Juanita and began hanging veteran banners in their towns. Arley Town Hall takes applications for banners year-round. The veterans currently being honored with banners in town are:
Sgt Oliver Lee Akins
Infantry – WWII & Korea
United States Army
1SG Bill John Allison
Co E 10th MP BN OST – VIETNAM
United States Army
CW3 Michael Baldwin
Company E, 52nd Aviation – Second Persian Gulf War, Iraq, Afghanistan, Operation Enduring Freedom
United States Army
SFC Christine Banks
304th MP Battalion – OIF/OEF
United States Army
Sgt Elli B. Barron
80th Signal Co – Infantry – WWII
United States Army
Sgt O. Paul Bishop
2nd BN/28th Regt (Black Lions) 1st Infantry (Big Red) – Vietnam
United States Army
PFC Odis L. Bishop
WWII
United States Army
PFC Guion Joseph Bonnabel
Mighty 8th Army Air Corp Division, WWII
United States Army Air Corps
E-7 Kevin P. Brown
1st Inf., 115th Sig., Co. A – Operation Iraq Freedom
United States Army
SP-2 Earl Dean Brumley
HQ CO, 1ST BN, 85th Inf. Regt. – Korea
United States Army
SP5 James Ray Calvert
Engineering Corp. Vietnam 1966-1968
United States Army
Lt Col Julian Richard Campbell
B-26 Bomber Pilot – WWII – Korean & Vietnam Wars
United States Army Air Corps
SP 4 Melvin D. Chambless
Comp D 2nd Battalion 8th Cavalry Regiment 1st Cavalry Div. – Vietnam
United States Army
Tec5 Voyt T. Cleghorn
Bomb Disposal Squad – WWII
United States Army
Sgt Weston Cleghorn
1-26th, A-Co, 101st Airborne – Ft. Campbell
United States Army
S/SGT William Doyle Clement
43rd Division 103rd Inf. – WWII – Southwest Pacific
United States Army
CMSgt Pamela & Gary Conklin
United States Army Air Force
Pfc Lawrence Cook
Co A 51st Armored Infantry Battalion – WWII
United States Army
Pvt Cecil Wallace Cook
WWII
United States Army Air Corps
PFC Marvin l. Cook
Korean War
United States Army
Pfc Robert W. Culler
WWII – Invasion of Italy
United States Army
PFC Jeffery Neal Culler
Paratrooper
United States Army
SP4 Dannie Michael Curtis
6th Bn, 29th Field Artillery, 4th infantry Division – Vietnam
United States Army
Major Randall S. Deaver
Retired Army – Gulf War
United States Army
Spec 4 Hershell L Densmore
270 M P Div.
United States Army
SPC James Dickey
186th Engr Co. – Operation Iraqi Freedom
United States Army
CPT Shannon Dotson
Bosnia 1996-1997 Armor
United States Army
Sgt Horace Ray Durham
6th Special Forces Group
United States Army
PFC Noah E. Edwards
124th Infantry – MP – WWII
United States Army
Sgt Gary R. Edwards
7th Psychological Operations Group – Vietnam
United States Army
Estes Brothers
United States Army
PFC V.C. Evans
154 Signal Corp. 14th Armored Div./WWII
United States Army
SSGT Carl H. Fincher
123rd AF BU 49th Co Service Group – WWII
United States Army Air Corps
SP4 Carl G. Fincher
173rd Airborne Vietnam
United States Army
SP 4 Jeffery Karl Fleetwood
United States Army
Anthony Fredrick
82nd Airborne Division
United States Army
T 5 Ervin Jackson Freeman
WWII – Rhineland Ardennes – Central Europe
United States Army
Pvt Leldon Melvin Freeman
WWII
United States Army
Spec/4 George E. Gibson
HHD 52nd Aviation BN 1st Aviation Brigade – Vietnam
United States Army
SPC 5 Barry Godbee
Co D, 926th Engineer Battalion (1970-1976)
United States Army Reserve
Cpl M J. Goodwin
Korea Pork Chop Hill Aus Infantry Co B 164 47 Div. First Cavalry
United States Army
PVT Marlin A. Goodwin
WWII
United States Army
PFC Charles Basil Graff
68th AIB 14th Armored Div. – WWII
United States Army
PFC Burton Guenther
World War II
United States Army
SP-5 Frank W. Guthrie
63rd Signal Battalion – Vietnam
United States Army
Sgt Fred `Barney` Hamner
314th Bomb Wing (Air Operations), 20th Air Force – WWII
United States Army
PVT William R. Hamner
19th Louisiana Infantry Regt – Civil War (CSA)
United States Army
Sgt George Washington Hamrick
Company H. 55 GA. Infantry – Civil War – Confederated States Army
United States Army
PFC Bailey Auston Heath
173rd/4th 319th
United States Army
Cpl James Alton Hendon
351st Airdrome Sq AAF – WWII – Central Burma
United States Army Air Force
William E. Hendon
WWII – infantry
United States Army
PVT Marion A. Hill
First number drawn for WWI
United States Army
PFC Homer Henry Hill
Battery C, 927th Field Artillery – WWII
United States Army
S/Sgt Lester Hill Sr.
160th Infantry – WWII – Philippines
United States Army
TSgt George Lee Hodges
WWII – 376th Bomb Group
United States Army Air Forces
Pvt Charles Lindsay (Pete) Howell
720th Railway Division – WWII – France
United States Army
SP 4 Van Hutchins Jr.
544th Engineer Company – Vietnam
United States Army
SSG Wendell James
C Co., 877th Engineer Battalion – Operation Iraqi Freedom
United States Army
PFC Truman H. James
Korea
United States Army
Cpl Virgil L. Kennedy
D Battery, 205th AAA – WWII
United States Army
Sgt Junior W. Key
Parachute Infantry – WWII
United States Army
SP4 Jerry Kilpatric
1959-1962
United States Army
Pfc Hubert Knight
WWI – France – 59th Squadron Medical Dept
United States Army
PFC Robert C. Lane
Korean War
United States Army
PFC Louis E. Laseter
Wagon Artillery, WWI
United States Army
PFC Pamela Lifson-Fay
3rd ID – Cold War – Germany
United States Army
SP4 David Forrest Little
USASA MP – Vietnam
United States Army
1st SGT Ashley Hewitt W. Lovett
First Alabama Cavalry – Civil War (Union Army)
United States Army
PFC Robert H. Malohn
131st Engineers – WWII – Asiatic-Pacific Theater
United States Army
Captain Hobson Manasco, MD
Medical Division – WWII
United States Army
Sgt T. Alvin Mauldin
WWII – Pacific Theater
United States Army Air Force
PFC John J. Mauldin
249th Engineer Combat Bn – WWII – Battle Of The Bulge
United States Army
Pvt Thomas E. ‘Gene’ McLarty
2nd Battalion 119th Field Artillery – WWII
United States Army
SGT Laborn B. Middleton
United States Army
SFC Jimmy G. Mixon
Co C 47inf. 4th Inf Div. – Vietnam (1960-1962)
United States Army
PVT John M. Mobley
Company K. 123 rd Infantry
United States Army
Pfc Amos M. Murphree
WWII – South Pacific
United States Army
T/5 Hoyt L. Murphree
WWII – Australia, New Guinea, Philippine Islands
United States Army
T/Sgt Jack Newsome
793 Military Police – Medical Detachment – WWII
United States Army
Sgt R. L. Patton
2nd Infantry Division (Indianhead) – Korean War
United States Army
SPEC 4 Ed Payne
Special Weapons/Internal Guidance (1958-61)
United States Army
Cpl Travis J. Phillips
243rd Signal Operations Company – WWII
United States Army
PFC Joseph E. Pirkle
127lst Engineer Combat Battalion – WWII
United States Army
Sgt Philip A. Pisani
HHC 6th BN 32nd Armor – Vietnam War
United States Army
Spec 4 Jerry Wayne Ragsdale
2nd Battalion 35th Artillery – Vietnam
United States Army
Sgt James M. Rickett
B Troop, 1st Squadron, 1st Cavalry
United States Army
E-3 Dawson Rivers
3/2 SCR I. Co OEF 10-11
United States Army
CW4 William C. ”Bill” Roberts
107 Transportation Truck Co. – WWII and Korean Wars
United States Army
E5 Freddie L. Rudd
606 Ordnance Co. – Vietnam
United States Army
Pvt Sherman E. Scott
Company B 91st Infantry Division – WWII
United States Army
T/Sgt William Curtis Smith
WWII
United States Army
SGT Blaine Hilton Smith
Korean War
United States Army
T/Sgt Lecil Norman Smith
3547th Ordnance Medium Automotive Maintenance Co. – WWII
United States Army
E-4 David Stahle
United States Army
S/Sgt Wallace Andrew Stewart
335th Infantry, 84th Airborne Div. – WWII – Battle of the Bulge
United States Army
Sgt Obed Talley
World War II
United States Army Air Corps
Cpl O.Z. Thornton
66th Armored Regiment, 2nd Armored Division (Hell on Wheels) – WWII – Normandy – European Theater
United States Army
1st Lt Wayne L. Tidwell
701st MP Battalion, Company A – Korean War
United States Army
MSG Jonathan Ray Trussell
Iraq/Afghanistan/Kosovo – USAG Stuttgart
United States Army
T/Sgt James Howell Turner
720th Railroad Division- WWII – Europe
United States Army
SFC Wilbur L. Tutor
101st Airborne – Vietnam
United States Army
Michael W Tyler
/Vietnam
United States Army
Tec 4 Warren B. Tyler
WWII
United States Army
PFC Thomas Tyree
44th ARMD Infantry BN 6 ARMD DIV – WWII
United States Army
Pvt Dolphus D. Tyree
Company B, 71st Chemical Co. – WWII
United States Army
SP4 James Lee Umphrey
Quartermaster Corps – Korea – Nov 4, 1953 – Oct 14, 1955
United States Army
Dorthen Wadsworth
United States Army Air Forces
Sgt Thomas M. Wadsworth
Co D. 12th Cavalry TN – Civil War
United States Army
Pvt Ray Wadsworth
323rd Division/WWII
United States Army
SP3 Willard H Wadsworth
C Btry 197 AFA BN – Korean War
United States Army
Sgt Demp Walker
35th Infantry – WWII
United States Army
PVT G. L. Walker
Engineer – Korean War (1951 -1953)
United States Army
2LT Claudie C. Williams
111th Inf. Regt./WWII, Western Pacific
United States Army
PFC Belton Elmo Wilson
4th Platoon, Company L, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division
United States Army
PVT Walter Evon Wilson
Company K, 60th Infantry, 9th Infantry Division – WWII
United States Army
S/Sgt Keith Anton Winkler
WWII – European Theater, Pacific Theater
United States Army
PFC Clark Woodard
Infantry – World War I
United States Army
SP4 Richard Rodgers Woodbury
101st Airborne, Vietnam
United States Army
T Sgt Thomas F. Wooten
Company G 112th Infantry, WWII
United States Army
Major Lee Wooten
WWII
United States Army
E-6 Joseph E. Wooten
WWII – Okinawa – Saipan
United States Army
PFC Harold Jackson Wooten
88th Infantry – WWII
United States Army
SSG Perry Eddy
151st Engineers (1972-1992)
Army National Guard
Sgt C. V. Key
Army National Guard
Sgt Gary Williams McLamb
Army National Guard
Cecil Coy Smith
Cuban Missile Crisis 1962
Army National Guard
Lonnie Williams
Army National Guard
Lt Col Robert Ross Cooper
Desert Storm
United States Air Force
SSgt Byron Farmer
EMS
United States Air Force
SSgt Joseph O. Glassco
90th SMW/117th TRWANG/Desert Storm
United States Air Force
SSgt Ryan J. Hall
19th Medical Operations Squadron – Afghanistan
United States Air Force
A/2c William Bratton Jones
638th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron
United States Air Force
James Knight
323rd Fighter-Bomber Wing
United States Air Force
SSgt Randall Eugene Lopez
Operation Iraqi Freedom
United States Air Force
SrA Michael J. McDaniel
Elm USAF RGN Hosp (AAC) Elmendorf AFB, AK
United States Air Force
AIC Wayne Nichols
Cuban Missile Crisis
United States Air Force
A3c Rosa Lee Nicholson
Vietnam
United States Air Force
A2C Samuel R. Odom
Korea ( Kimpo) 1954
United States Air Force
TSgt Lori Patten
Intelligence (SAC) 1977-1985
United States Air Force
Amn Gil Rauch
Korea
United States Air Force
A2C Charles D. Rivers
3510th Combat Crew
United States Air Force
S/Sgt Ralph R. Sellers
37th Squadron Mobile Radio Intercept Operator – Vietnam
United States Air Force
SrA Scott A. Strickland
6920th Electronic Security Group – Misawa, Japan
United States Air Force
PVT Scott L. White
WWII
United States Air Force
SGT Ralph E. Williams
7th Airforce,1881st Comm Squad, 1876th Comm Squad – Vietnam – two tours
United States Air Force
!st Lt Robert Judson Wills Sr.
Korea
United States Air Force
Douglas L. Woodard
Vietnam
United States Air Force
Captain Donald Estes
Aviation (1971-1998) – Retired
United States Coast Guard
F1 Al Myra Flowers
Patrol Frigate USS Orange (PF-43) -WWII
United States Coast Guard
Charles V. Hockenberry
WWII
Merchant Marines
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