Exchange Club’s Field of Heroes Memorial Day dedication pays tribute to heroes

More than 100 U.S. flags appeared to stand at attention as they billowed in the steady Memorial Day afternoon breeze. The flags paid tribute to veterans, first responders and at least one mother during the Mount Olive Exchange Club’s first-ever Field of Heroes.

A large American flag suspended from the Mount Olive Fire Dept.’s Tower 1 flew over the ceremony stage and the nearly 80 people on hand at the Field of Heroes Memorial Day dedication ceremony held at 3 p.m. Monday on the vacant lot next to Roberts Machine & Supply on U.S. 55 West.

The flags were purchased by people to honor their heroes — living or dead — and following the ceremony they were able to take their flag home with them along with the pole topper, display pole, donor tag and re-bar.

Cora Price, 9, purchased a flag for her mother, Heather Hicks.

“She surprised me with this flag,” Hicks said. “She bought it with her allowance money. She says I am fun and funny.”

“I just got it for her because she is my mom,” Cora said. “I love her, and she is kind of my teacher. She is a friend of mine, and she loves me, and I love her.

“I thought I could represent her by getting her a flag because she is my mama, and I thought it would be nice.”

Cora received help from her grandmother, Susan Price, an Exchange Club member, in pulling off the surprise.

“I slipped it (flag) right behind her (mother) when I put it up,” Cora said.

Hicks said she was surprised.

“I thought it was sweet and thoughtful,” Hicks said. “She has a big heart.”

Hicks said they plan to put the flag up at home.

Robert Jr. and Cathy Best purchased three flags, one for him and ones for their respective fathers.

Best, a member of Mount Olive VFW Post 9959, served in Vietnam. His father, Robert Best Sr., served in France during WWII.

Her father, Joseph Timothy Grady of Kenansville, served in the Pacific during WWII.

“It was great,” they said in unison of the Field of Heroes program.

“I think it was a good thing,” she added. “It is a shame that people do not support the memories of the fallen veterans and the veterans. The country really needs to do more.”

Best said he was not sure how they would display the flags.

“We have a place for them,” Cathy Best said. “We can display them.”

“We already have several flying,” he added.

The Bests agreed that the event was well attended with probably at least 75 people on hand.

“I think it is a good cause, a good thing,” she said. “I think that we should always remember the veterans who have served and give them the respect they deserve.”

Best said he thinks too many people think everything in the country is free.

“It’s not,” he said. “It has been paid for in blood.”

First but not the last

“We ordered 100 flags,” said Belinda Parent, club president-elect. “We sold out of those. We put together 20 more kits, and we sold six more of those, so 106 total.”

Parent said she was pleased and a little overwhelmed with the response.

“(Late club member) Joe Scott had talked for years about doing this memorial kind of thing for all of our heroes and honor all of the heroes who are still living,” she said. “We weren’t sure Mount Olive was big enough to hold it.

“We didn’t know if the community would come together — they did. They did, and they came from far and wide. It wasn’t just within Mount Olive, but outside of Mount Olive as well.”

Monies raised through the fundraiser will go back into the community, she said.

“It goes for all of the things that we support which is Americanism, child abuse prevention, citizenship, to do things with the youth program — all of the things that the Exchange Club promotes and supports,” she explained. “It is all going right back into the community.”

Volunteers set up the flags on May 17.

Exchange Club members and community residents came by every day to ensure the flags were not rolled up, Parent said.

They would unroll them if that happened, she added.

There was no significance to the 10-day period between the setup and Monday’s ceremony, Parent said.

“It was just a good amount of time, but not too long, to give the public the opportunity to see them, and to reverently sit with them,” she said.

Flags were set up in rows, each row designated with a letter to make it convenient for people to find the flags representing their loved ones.

Also, there were flags representing each branch of the U.S. Armed Forces — Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Space Force and Coast Guard. One flag with colored stripes represented first responders — blue for law enforcement, red for firefighters and green for military and federal agents.

“We will absolutely be doing it every year,” Parent said of the fundraiser. “This is our inaugural year, but we will do it every year. It will be the main fundraiser for the Exchange Club.”

Hobbs: Heroes come in all forms

Retired Air Force chaplain Mark Hobbs spoke about who he thinks heroes are.

“I think they are everyday citizens, young and old; some in good health; some in very poor health,” said Hobbs, who retired after 20 years in the Air Force. “They are people who recognize there is a great need, and they do their very best to meet that need.

“Some have died doing that, and we honor them today. Many went and served overseas, and many have died stateside in training accidents.”

Hobbs recalled the 1999 Fourth of July when he assisted in a recovery mission following a fatal aircraft crash in a swampy area.

He described the gruesome work of recovering body parts.

One night while walking to get a razor, some guys drove by in a pickup truck. They blew the horn, threw beer bottles at him, said terrible things and drove off.

“It was a Fourth of July I won’t forget,” he said. “I won’t forget because a man was doing his task, flying in a four-man formation, and he didn’t go home to his mate, to his family.

“But it taught me more about duty, sacrifice and service. How much time does a hero have? Sometimes a hero gives all their time.”

Some are gone in an instant, but in that instant some heroes do things that transform the lives of others, Hobbs added.

“We live in a great country,” he said. “There are millions of heroes, past and present. I stand in the company of some today.

“Thank God for those who have given and those who still believe to get up, polish their boots, put on their uniform, give a crisp salute and do what they do within the standards of their service and do it knowing that at night people like us can sleep and rest and know that someone stands watch.”

A table set for one

Anthony Wynn, Mount Olive American Legion Post 103 first vice commander, explained the POW/MIA table on the stage.

Wynn called it a blessing to live in a country like the U.S and to be able to attend such a program as the Field of Heroes. He said that 54 years ago on this date he was in Vietnam.

The table occupies a place of dignity and honor, he said.

“It is set for one person symbolizing that members of our armed forces are missing from our ranks,” Wynn said. “They are referred to as POWs and MIAs. We call them comrades. The table is small, symbolizing the frailty of one prisoner alone against his or her suppressor.

“The tablecloth is white, symbolic of purity and intentions to respond to our country’s call to war. A single red rose signifies the blood they may have shed. The red ribbon represents an unyielding determination for a proper accounting of all of our comrades.“

A slice of lemon has been placed on the plate, it reminds us of the bitter fate that the prisoners face, he said.

Sprinkling salt on the plate, Wynn said is a reminder of the countless tears families have shed as they wait for their loved one.

The inverted glass symbolizes that they cannot toast with us at this time, he continued.

“The chair is empty, they are not here,” he said. “The candle, reminiscent of the light of hope that they will return. The American flag reminds us that many of them will never return and they have paid the extreme sacrifice to ensure our freedom.

“So let us remember and never forget their sacrifice. May God forever watch over them and protect them and their families.”

Event draws crowd

Barb Seale, American Legion Post 103 adjutant, called it a joy to see everyone at the event.

Memorial Day is a day to honor and remember those who have died in service to their country, Seale said.

“Their courage and sacrifice always needs to be remembered,” she continued. “We are grateful to the families for the support that they gave to their service members so they could carry out the mission of protecting the rest of us.

“May the spirit of Memorial Day remind us of the price of freedom and inspire us to live with gratitude and compassion. Let’s carry their sacrifice with us in our hearts and strive to honor their memory by being good, faithful, hopeful, strong and committed to building a brighter future for all.”

It is not for money or medals that such heroes step forward, Seale added. Rather it is to act out their patriotism — patriotism based on the ideals on which this country was founded — life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, she said.

“America without her soldiers, airmen, sailors, whatever, would be like God without his angels,” she concluded.

Parent gave the welcome and thanked everyone who helped or participated in the event.

Amberley Davis, club president, spoke about the club.

Calypso Boy Scout Troop 42 provided the color guard and Camden Mitchell sang the national anthem.

Steve Wiggins, former chairman of the Mount Olive Veterans Memorial Committee, gave the invocation. and American Legion Post 103 Chaplain John Herrington gave the closing prayers.

Military vehicles and a second fire truck were on display.