By Vicki Brown
It was a solemn day on Monday, but an important one, as the Colleton County community came together to observe Memorial Day and to honor the nation’s fallen soldiers. The annual ceremony was held at the Walterboro Waterfall Plaza on Monday, May 31. During the ceremony, the Walterboro Fire Department displayed American flags along East Washington Street in Walterboro. At 9 a.m., veterans, Gold Star families, family members, and patriotic residents gathered to honor the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. Colleton County veteran Bob Tiegs, with members of the Adjutant American Legion Post 93, was the master of ceremony. He welcomed the large crowd. In his welcome, he was joined by Colleton County Veterans Council Chairman Johnny Holmes and Janet Smith, the Colleton County Veterans Affairs Officer. Prisoners of war and those missing in action were given a special moment of remembrance during the ceremony: next to the podium, sat an empty chair that held a POW-MIA flag. “We must continue to insist that the remains of our soldiers be sent back to us from overseas, along with records and accounts. We can never forget them,” said Tiegs. The ceremony continued as Reverend Thomas Jackson Jr., president of the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc., Hiram E. Mann Chapter, opened the ceremony with the invocation. Boy Scout Troop No. 686 led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance. Dewey Varnadoe, Jr. led the National Anthem. “This is the time to embrace our American core of values. Those we honor today gave their lives in defense of those values. If you want to thank a soldier, be the kind of American worth fighting for,” said Walterboro Mayor Bill Young. Then, Colleton County Councilman Art Williams spoke about freedom. “On this day, which has been set aside to recognize the countless men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom by giving their lives, we remember and honor that sacrifice and the sacrifice of their family and friends,” he said. Lieutenant Colonel Jermaine Montez Walker was the guest speaker at Monday’s ceremony. Walker comes from a family of distinguished men who served in the military. His grandfather, father and brother are part of an honorable heritage and legacy that will not be forgotten. “There is a price that must be paid. The price of freedom is high. The freedoms and liberties that we enjoy come at the highest investment…that investment is America’s greatest asset… our sons and daughters. It takes a special individual to be willing to go to war, not knowing if and how he will return,” Walker said. “When we bleed, we bleed the same color…the cost of freedom. It costs broken bodies and sometimes broken minds. Why do we do it? Love. Love for this great nation, love for those that we leave at home, and our love for each other. Jesus said, ‘Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.’ And today we honor our Gold Star families who represent the best of who we are as Americans. We citizens owe you a debt of gratitude for the sacrifices of your loved ones. We must hold ourselves to the same standard of excellence as those that gave their lives.” Walker retired on February 1, 2021, from the United States Army as an engineer officer after nearly 21 years of meritorious service. After Lieutenant Colonel Walker spoke, the Colleton County Veterans Council laid a wreath in the plaza to remember those from Colleton County and across the nation who have fallen in battle. This was accompanied by a three-round volley, or a 21-gun salute. This was followed by the playing of ‘Taps’ by the Colleton County Honor Guard, the retrieval of colors by the Colleton County High School’s NJROTC, and the benediction by Reverend Jackson.
