GIG LINE
By Marsha M. Brown
A few weeks ago I was privy to a conversation between two kind gentlemen. Their topic of discussion was of importance to me because it involved love of country, loyalty to our nation and the personal sacrifice of our veterans. One of the two was a veteran having previously served with the U. S. Marine Corps…and the other was not but…each of them shared a common thread…each of their fathers had served during WWII.
Though unrelated by DNA and raised by two different Dad’s, it was clear to me that each of them were inspired in the same way…by fathers who had pride in America; who stood up for what they believed in and who held dear the WWII troops who had sacrificed and died for all of us. These two men, once little boys who had loved and looked up to their Dad, described their fathers with immeasurable respect and at the same time spoke in unison about their personal affection for WWII vets overall who had suffered hardships of little food, freezing temperatures and unbelievable pain and suffering. Each of the men expressed their love and appreciation for veterans of a war long ago but not forgotten.
As I sat there and listened one of the men recalled that some time after his Dad’s memory had significantly faded, he suddenly spoke out of the blue one day recalling a painful WWII memory – seeing suffering and death…as if in his mind’s eye he could see it again…then as unexpectedly as it came…on to the next subject totally unrelated. Then his friend listening intently reminded us that America was bound by something very special back in the 1940’s. He referenced the connection Americans had one for the other; about the support our country showed to our soldiers at war; about how our country made its mind up to see the struggles through together and how even through the heartache, sadness and loss…our United States was united, unwavering and sewn together with a thread of unity and courage and determination…we all agreed that it would be awesome if we could get back to that point today…when men and women alike sacrificed for one another and for the whole of protecting our country and keeping our loved ones safe…together again.
This is the time each year that we focus on our much deserving veterans and the families who love, support and miss them. Below you will see the numerous schedules for veteran related activities to be held in Dare County to honor of and in appreciation for our men and women of service and sacrifice. Please make every effort to attend any/all of the events that you can…not only for our veterans but for the people who have committed the time, energy and expense to host special events in our veterans honor.
You all have made a difference…I know because I hear it all the time. You (veterans) are our heroes and we love you all. Please make note of the following schedule as collected and provided by the Dare Arts Council staff. And for further info, please see www.VeteransWeekOBX.com for more details.
Sunday, Nov. 8th:
US Poet Laureate Charles Wright: Reading and Lecture – 4:00 PM, Hilton Garden Inn, 5353 N. Virginia Dare Trail, Kitty Hawk, Reception to follow. Tickets are $15.00 at www.BryanCulturalSeries.org, Duck’s Cottage/Duck; Gray’s Department Store/K.Hawk; Sea Green Gallery/N.Head and Downtown Books/Manteo.
Tuesday, Nov.10th
Marine Corps Birthday Luncheon 12:00 Noon – The Currituck Club, 620 Currituck Clubhouse Dr., Corolla – $17.50 p/person includes lunch, non-alcoholic beverages & cake. RSVP required (252) 564-9225.
Veteran’s Day Celebration for Dare County Veterans 1:00 PM – Dare County Center, 950 Marshall C. Collins Dr., Manteo – Sponsored by the Dare County Center, Monarch Beach Club, American Legion Post 26, Outer Banks V.F.W. Post 10950, OBX Marine Corps League #1264 and the Dare County Veterans Advisory Council. Lunch is free for veterans. RSVP required, call (252) 475-9270. Also, if you bring your DD-214 showing Honorable Discharge, you can acquire your Dare County Veteran I. D. Card for 60+ local business discounts! For further info see: www.darenc.com desktop version online.
FCA Fall Banquet 6:30 PM – Duck Woods Country Club, 50 S. Dogwood Trail, Southern Shores featuring Marine Lt. Clebe McClary. Local athletes and coaches on hand to share local FCA happenings. Doors open at 6:00 PM. Limited space, call (252) 564-2465. INFO: swilliams@fca.olg
Wednesday, Nov. 11th
Veteran’s Day Prayer Service – 9:30 AM Hatteras Island Veterans Memorial Park, 57449 Hwy. 12, Hatteras. INFO: millerredtiger@aol.com
Veteran’s Day Ceremony – 11:00 AM Town of Nags Head, 5401 S. Croatan Hwy.,
N. Head. INFO: michelle.gray@nagsheadnc.gov
Veteran’s Day Ceremony – 11:30 AM Dare County Veterans Memorial, 300 Queen Elizabeth Ave., Manteo (Old Courthouse Downtown). Sponsored by American Legion Post 26.
Veteran’s Day Ceremony – 12:30 PM Veterans Drive, Kill Devil Hills Sponsored by American Legion Post 26.
Thursday, Nov. 12th
Family Traditions of Service: A Historical Tribute to Veterans 7:00 PM – Free and open to the public. Dare County Arts Council, 300 Queen Elizabeth Ave. (Downtown) Special reception and presentation that includes: A Historical Military Exhibit from the North Carolina Archives; A Preview of the Mysteries of the Graveyard documentary by Bryan Jones, Panel Discussion of Outer Banks History Center’s Exhibit A Heritage of Heroes: The Coast Guard of North Carolina Hosted by The Friends of Outer Banks History Center
Friday, Nov. 13th
2nd Annual Veteran’s Day Celebration 8:30 AM – Hosted by Cape Hatteras Secondary School, 48576 NC 12, Buxton. Activities begin with a breakfast at 8:30 AM, followed by an assembly at 9:30 AM at which time our veterans will be recognized for their service. All veterans are welcome to attend. MORE INFO: (252) 995-5730 Gary Kierney ext. 3008 or Randy Ratliff ext. 3003.
Saturday, Nov. 14th
OBX Veteran’s Week Concert – Kelly’s Outer Banks Restaurant & Tavern, 2316 S. Croatan Hwy., Nags Head. Featuring Soldier Hard Tailgate Down With Special Guests Anthony Anderson, Dale Comstock and Melissa Jarboe. Performances begin at 8:30 PM. Tickets are $5 (free with military I.D.) and are on sale now at Kelly’s. All proceeds benefit Dare County Veterans Advisory Council. Presented by PNC Bank and Dare County Arts Council. (252) 441-4116
OBX Veterans Writing Project
Free Writing Workshop for Veterans, Registration Required. Saturday Nov. 14th and Sunday, Nov. 15th 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM Coastal Studies Institute, Wanchese, NC. Underwritten by Outer Banks Visitors Bureau, PNC Bank and Dare County Arts Council. MORE INFO: Call Dare County Arts Council (252) 473-5558. TO REGISTER: http://www.veteransweekobx.com
Sunday, Nov. 15th:
Free Admission – Candlelighting to Honor, Remember and Care 2:00 PM – St. Andrews By-The-Sea, 4212 S. Virginia Dare Trail, Nags Head. Sponsored by GEM Adult Day Services (252) 480-3354
WOW! With so much ‘in the works’, please come enjoy the festivities and see how much Dare County folks love you! We hope to see you there and remember to be happy, be safe and be proud of yourselves and of this great country you served or still serve today! Call me (252) 202-2058 if we can help a veteran you know and remember that our Veteran Service Officer Rhonda Creef is eager to help you file a claim, request a duplicate DD-214 and refer you to various sources of V.A. help. Until next time…stay tuned!
AND…TO ALL VETERANS OF THESE G-R-E-A-T UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, WE THANK YOU…GOD BLESS YOU ALL!