Veterans, their families and supporters from across the state celebrated the Fourth of July with the opening of the first state park that honors all military veterans.
People from across North Carolina travelled to Fayetteville on Monday to celebrate the event. The $13 million project pays tribute to veterans from all five military branches.
“There is no more appropriate location than this soldier sanctuary city, this military town, and this hallowed ground, where honor and sacrifice are celebrated each and every day,” Fayetteville mayor Tony Chavonne said.
Gov. Beverly Perdue and local leaders officially opened the park and veterans poured in to see it. The park includes the “Oath of Service Wall,” with 100 bronze castings of veterans’ hands.
Among those castings was the hand of Cabarrus County veteran Col. Quincy Collins.
Collins, who also celebrated his 80th birthday on Independence Day, was born in Cabarrus County and gradated from Concord High School before attending The Citadel in Charleston, SC. Upon graduation, he entered the Air Force and began pilot training. He retired from the Air Force after more than two decades of service.
Collins had an illustrious Air Force career, from opening the new Air Force Academy in 1955 as an Air Training Officer, to being the Aide to the Four Star Commander-In-Chief of U. S. Air Forces in Europe, to being shot down by the North Vietnamese Communist and spending seven and a half years as a prisoner of war.
The honor of representing veterans as part of the memorial was both humbling and highly emotional.
“I had tears in my eyes the whole time when they come to my house to do the cast,” said George Sloan, a veteran from Wake County. “It was out of this world.”
“I never believed it possible until I saw it,” said Elbert Townsend, who served in World War II and Korea.
And another veteran, Nathan Henry, said, “I can’t believe how the people are coming forth. The Vietnam veterans now, we’re getting more honors now than we ever had.”
And hand castings of civilians who support troops adorn columns. The hands of four Cabarrus County “Pillars of Support” are part of the memorial. Heather Godwin Barton, widow of Spec. Christopher Barton, who was killed in Afghanistan on May 24, 2010; Shana McClamrock, widow of PFC James McClamrock, who was killed in Iraq on Sept. 7, 2010; Bill Whitley and Robin Scharding all had casts of their hands made as part of the memorial.
Independent Tribune Managing Editor Jonathan E. Coleman and Online Editor Ben McNeely contributed to this report.
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