Hundreds gathered at Rogers-Hinson Post 235 on Monday to honor military members who died in service to their country during a Memorial Day ceremony that carried on despite inclement weather.
- The event, organized by the Beal Memorial Veterans Tribute Tower committee, was originally planned for Beal Memorial Cemetery but was relocated to the Fort Walton Beach American Legion due to rain.
The ceremony opened with the posting of the colors by Fort Walton Beach High School Air Force Junior ROTC cadets, followed by remarks from U.S. Rep. Jim Patronis.
“Memorial Day is not about barbecues and weekends,” Patronis said. “It’s about remembrance, and the men and women who have kissed their families goodbye, put the uniform on, and never came home.”
A variety of community leaders read the roll call of the deceased, and members of the public were invited to place white and red carnations on a commemorative wreath representing all branches of the nation’s uniformed services.
- Other dignitaries in attendance included State Rep. Patt Maney, a retired U.S. Army brigadier general and former Okaloosa County judge, and keynote speaker U.S. Army Col. Blake Anderson.
Anderson closed the ceremony with a message directed at Gold Star families — the immediate family members of service members who died in the line of duty.
“We commit ourselves unequivocally to ensuring that your loved ones’ names continue to be spoken, and that their legacies live on,” Anderson said.
Despite the rain, cadets from FWBHS’s Air Force JROTC program joined volunteers from the Boy Scouts and the Air Force Enlisted Village in placing flags at the graves of more than 2,000 veterans buried at Beal Memorial Cemetery.
