Fulton County honors veterans with annual ceremony at courthouse

Monday, November 11, 2024 at 12:17 PM

By Wes Dehne

A crowd of people gathered Monday morning outside the Fulton County Courthouse to honor service members at the community's annual Veterans Day ceremony.

VFW Post 1343 Commander Kurt Nichols advocated for patience and understanding in helping veterans overcome unimaginable amounts of hardships this Veterans Day.

Nichols' message and an accompanying prayer were shared during the community's annual Veterans Day ceremony, organized in partnership with American Legion Post 36, on the west side of the Fulton County Courthouse Monday morning.

"We have Memorial Day for those who give their last full measure, and we have today for those who come back and fit into our society after witnessing some horrible and distressing events, many of which we would not personally ever condition ourselves to understand, but that they were trained and followed through so that we could maintain our freedom," Nichols said.

In prayer, he noted many veterans carry scars in their hearts, as well as on their bodies.

"Dark memories haunt their dreams at night, and fears cloud their waking hours," he said, asking that veterans' families be blessed with patience and wisdom to endure pains borne vicariously.

"Today we pray for those men and women who have, in their military service, sacrificed their time, their strength, their ambition, their health and even their lives on this Earth to benefit friends and family, known and unknown," he said. "Create good in the families of veterans who have experienced pain and loss."

"Today, we live in a new and hopefully a little more enlightened way, where we can offer ourselves and space to those who are struggling with this," Nichols added. "Always remember this, as ornery as your old veteran is, they love you and they need your patience, as they are working through stuff that we can't imagine."

Mayor Trent Odell also shared a few words after the singing of The National Anthem by Erica Yates.

"Our country's greatest response in an effort to honor you is to make sure that we preserve those freedoms that you fought so hard to secure," he told veterans. "It has been said that true heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost."

He then drew a parallel to the movie "2 Hearts," in telling veterans that every citizen has benefitted from their willingness to serve.

"God bless you all, and God has blessed this nation through you," he finished.

The ceremony concluded with a three-volley salute and the playing of "Taps" by the Fulton County Veterans Honor Guard.

Leading up to Veterans Day, The Honor Guard also made visits to nursing homes and assisted living facilities in Rochester to honor local veterans. Veterans at each facility were presented embroidered jackets.

Immediately following the ceremony, the American Legion, 611 Main St., Rochester, serves a chili lunch. Additionally, the VFW Post, 1703 Federal Drive, Rochester, serves a turkey and ham dinner, beginning at 4 p.m. Both meals are free for all veterans and their families.