In the contributed photo are three former members of the “The Old Guard”, Jon Rutgers, Heather L. Wagner, and Edward Tatum. Tatum is a Bladen County resident.
Contributed
A Veterans Day Ceremony was held on November 6, 2021, at the North Carolina Veterans Park in Fayetteville, NC. The event honored Veterans from North Carolina, remembered Prisoners of War and those Missing in Action (POW/MIAs), recognized the Centennial of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the 20th Anniversary of the 9/11 Attacks.
Following is the information provided during the ceremony.
Rolling Thunder, Chapter #1, Fayetteville, NC
The major function of Rolling Thunder, Inc. is to publicize POW/MIA issues: to educate the public that many American prisoners of war were left behind after all previous wars and to help correct the past and to protect future veterans from being left behind should they become prisoners of war or missing in action. We are also committed to helping American veterans from all wars.
Over 86,000 are unaccounted for… they must not be forgotten! Over 1,500 North Carolinian’s are unaccounted for.
The POW/MIAS table is a powerful statement of our commitment to remember all of our prisoners of war and those missing in action from all wars.
Centennial of the Tomb of the Unkown Soldier
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the most iconic memorial in Arlington National Cemetery. On November 11, 1921 state funeral was held, and the Unknown from World War I was interred. The tomb as we know it today is a sarcophagus bearing the inscription: “Here Resta in Honored Glory an American Soldier Known but to God,” The tomb contains the remains of an unknown service member from World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. The crypt for the Vietnam Unknown is now empty and honors all missing service members from that war. The 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, “The Old Guard,” is the Army’s official ceremonial unit. These soldiers guard the tomb. Known as Sentinels, their duty is exercised with precision and perfection, and each element of the routine has symbolic meaning.
The Liberty Point Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, have coordinated a Veterans Day Program involving the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Featured speakers include Jon Rutgers, Principle Guest Speaker, Heather L. Wagner, and Edward Tatum. These three former soldiers have had the honor of being assigned to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Jon Rutgers, the principal speaker, served in the United States Army for 28 years, he was a 1996 graduate of the Army Officers Candidate School and held many positions to include assignments with the 2nd Ranger Battalion and the elite Special Forces. His service includes 35 months in combat with a tour in Afghanistan and two tours in Iraq. His final assignment was a senior planner with the 18th Airborne Corps. During his long career, he received many awards and decorations to include the Legion of Merit, three Bronze Stars, two Defense Meritorious Service Medals, and the Army Meritorious Service Medal. His duty as a sentinel at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was from 1991 to 1993. Currently, Rutgers serves as a civilian security consultant and resides with his wife Julie in Fayetteville, North Carolina.
Heather L. Wagner began her career in the United States Army as a Military Police Officer prior to her election to serve in the Old Guard, where she performed duty on the Casket Team. Later she served as a Sentinel and Assistant Commander having the honor of both guarding and Changing the Guard at the Tomb Guard. She later served with the 101st Air Assault Division at Fort Campbell as a Military Police Officer and, upon leaving active duty, continued to serve her country with 24 years in Federal Service, currently employed as the Deputy Director of the USASOC Contracting Office. She resides in Cumberland County with her husband, and they have two children.
Edward Tatum began his service at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in 1973, performing duty on the WW1 Drill Team and the 1st Casket Team. He was a casket bearer for COL William Nolde, who was the last casualty in the Vietnam War, which was nationally televised. Tatum was also featured in the movie “The Unknowns” and the TV documentary “The Honor Guard” series. He is currently a business owner in Lumberton, North Carolina, and is married with three children and a grandchild.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on our nation. We honor the nearly 3,000 men, women, and children who lost their lives in New York, Virginia, and Pennsylvania.
Three North Carolinians lost their lives in the 9/11 attacks:
Sandra W. Bradshaw, 38, of Greensboro, N.C., was a flight attendant on United Flight 93. She was a wife and mother.
Christopher Lee Burford, 23, of Hubert, N.C., was a U.S. Navy Electronics Technician who died in the Pentagon.
Lt. Cmdr. Eric Allen Cranford, 32, of Drexel N.C. was a decorated Naval Aviator who held nine service medals. He worked for the Chief of Naval Operations in the Pentagon, where he died.
Daughters of the American Revolution Liberty Point Chapter, NSDAR
The Liberty Point Chapter Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution is based in historic Fayetteville, North Carolina. On April 12, 1975, twenty-six ladies met at Green Valley Country Club to sign the charter forming Liberty Point Chapter. The chapter is named for the intersection of Bow and Person Streets, commonly known as “Liberty Point.” It was there that the Cumberland Resolves – also known as the “Liberty Point.” It was there that the Cumberland Resolves – were signed in June 1775. The signers were a group of fifty-five patriots of Cumberland County who pledged their lives and fortunes for the cause of liberty.
This marker at Liberty Point bears the names of the fifty-five patriots who signed the Liberty Point Resolves.
Fayetteville History Museum
From History enthusiasts to families looking for fun, there is something at the Fayetteville History Museum for everyone. Located at 325 Franklin St. in historic downtown Fayetteville, the museum is a wonderful educational resource for the community, filled with artifacts and exhibits. Galleries are open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm and, admission is free. Opportunities are available for tours and presentations of various topics and for many age levels. In addition to ongoing exhibits and activities, we host the City Market at the Museum on Saturdays from 9 am to 1 pm.
The museum highlights local history with topical displays like our World War I exhibit.
Veteran’s Day occurs on 11 November every year in the United States in honor of the “eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month” of 1918 that signaled the end of World War I.
In 1919, North Carolina Governor Thomas Brickett welcomed North Carolina’s returning soldiers from World War I with these words:
When you were about to go forth to war, You stood before Carolina, the beautiful and loving Mother of us all, and in your hearts said, “Carolina, we, who are about to die, salute you.”
Today, Carolina, arrayed in happiness, Athrill, with the joy of triumphant motherhood, cries, “O sons, who are about to live, Carolina salutes you.”
Veterans Day was commemorated in 1921 at Arlington National Cemetery with the burial of an unknown soldier from World War I at the newly created Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
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