thedrifter
11-06-06, 07:37 AM
Honoring veterans
November 05,2006
JOE MILLER
DAILY NEWS STAFF
Among the Cub Scout troops, marching bands and Marines proudly marching down Western Boulevard on Saturday, a lone man sits in a tiger cage pulled by a truck.
Raymond Pender was that man. His goal was for people to remember the torture prisoners of war went through in Vietnam.
“Some prisoners have been reported to have been in those cages for up to six years,” he said. “We are trying to pay our respect and bring the awareness out of that plight of our prisoners.”
Pender is a member of Rolling Thunder NC-5, the organization that sponsored the Veterans Day parade Saturday. Thousands of people, including many children, turned out to pay their respects to the men and woman who have served this country.
People proudly displayed hats indicating what war they served in. A woman tied a red, white and blue banner on her walking stick. Vietnam veteran Robert Meador, 59, shouted out words of encouragement to the veterans as they rode by and took pictures of the parade. He gets emotional when he talks about what Veterans Day means to him.
“I lost a lot of friends in Vietnam,” he said. “This day, everybody should honor us.”
Meador proudly displayed his hat, which read “Vietnam Vet and damn proud of it.”
“I wear this to let everybody know that I’m proud I served,” he said.
The event started with a flyover of Harrier jets from Cherry Point Air Station. The parade‘s grand marshal was Retired Marine Gunnery Sgt. Thomas Craigg, a survivor of the Bataan Death March during World War II.
“It’s important for the sacrifice not just for those people who did their time but those people who didn’t come back, those people who gave the ultimate sacrifice,” said Retired Marine Reserves Lt. Col. Thomas Smith.
The parade featured marching bands from Jacksonville and White Oak high schools, elected officials and Young Marines just to name a few.
Active duty Marines came out as well to pay their respect to those who went before them.
“They all put their life on the line so I can do what I’m doing today,” said Lance Cpl. Samual Householder, a member of the Eighth Marines at Camp Lejeune. “It means a lot to just be able to kind of step in their shoes and pick up where they left off.”
Contact staff writer Joe Miller at jmiller@freedomenc.com or at 353-1171, ext. 236
Ellie
November 05,2006
JOE MILLER
DAILY NEWS STAFF
Among the Cub Scout troops, marching bands and Marines proudly marching down Western Boulevard on Saturday, a lone man sits in a tiger cage pulled by a truck.
Raymond Pender was that man. His goal was for people to remember the torture prisoners of war went through in Vietnam.
“Some prisoners have been reported to have been in those cages for up to six years,” he said. “We are trying to pay our respect and bring the awareness out of that plight of our prisoners.”
Pender is a member of Rolling Thunder NC-5, the organization that sponsored the Veterans Day parade Saturday. Thousands of people, including many children, turned out to pay their respects to the men and woman who have served this country.
People proudly displayed hats indicating what war they served in. A woman tied a red, white and blue banner on her walking stick. Vietnam veteran Robert Meador, 59, shouted out words of encouragement to the veterans as they rode by and took pictures of the parade. He gets emotional when he talks about what Veterans Day means to him.
“I lost a lot of friends in Vietnam,” he said. “This day, everybody should honor us.”
Meador proudly displayed his hat, which read “Vietnam Vet and damn proud of it.”
“I wear this to let everybody know that I’m proud I served,” he said.
The event started with a flyover of Harrier jets from Cherry Point Air Station. The parade‘s grand marshal was Retired Marine Gunnery Sgt. Thomas Craigg, a survivor of the Bataan Death March during World War II.
“It’s important for the sacrifice not just for those people who did their time but those people who didn’t come back, those people who gave the ultimate sacrifice,” said Retired Marine Reserves Lt. Col. Thomas Smith.
The parade featured marching bands from Jacksonville and White Oak high schools, elected officials and Young Marines just to name a few.
Active duty Marines came out as well to pay their respect to those who went before them.
“They all put their life on the line so I can do what I’m doing today,” said Lance Cpl. Samual Householder, a member of the Eighth Marines at Camp Lejeune. “It means a lot to just be able to kind of step in their shoes and pick up where they left off.”
Contact staff writer Joe Miller at jmiller@freedomenc.com or at 353-1171, ext. 236
Ellie