SILVERHILL, Alabama — Nearly 130 residents attended a program to honor veterans held on Veterans Day, Monday, Nov. 11 at the Silverhill Veterans Memorial on Main Street across from Town Hall.
Frankie Kucera with the Silverhill Veterans Memorial Organization welcomed guests, followed by a prayer from the Rev. Jesse Adams and the raising of the flag by Charles Collins, Bill Coley, Mike Girard and Danny Murphy, accompanied by Joel Sterling on bugle.
The National Anthem and Pledge of Allegiance were led by Ollie Findley and Daizee Findley, who also led the group in singing “God Bless America.”
Guest speakers were Sgt. Jeremy Frank Collins, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps in Iraq and Afghanistan and was awarded a Purple Heart; and Chief William Coley Sr., who served in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard.
The ceremony ended with the lowering of the flags to half-staff with Taps played by Joel Sterling and a closing prayer by the Rev. Jason Rothe.
Veterans Day is an official United States public holiday, observed annually on Nov. 11, that honors all persons who have served in the United States Armed Forces.
Veterans Day coincides with Armistice Day and Remembrance Day, an observance of the anniversary of the end of World War I in which major hostilities were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I.
In the United States, Armistice Day was officially renamed Veterans Day in 1954 to honor all U.S. military veterans. Memorial Day, which is observed the last Monday in May each year, honors U.S military veterans who died while in military service, while Armed Forces Day, also observed each year in May, honors those currently serving in the U.S. military.
The Silverhill Veterans Memorial was dedicated in 2017 and the site has been prepared for two polished granite memorials to be placed on either side of the larger memorial, with names of local veterans who served. A dedication ceremony will be held at a later date.
