ELIZABETHTOWN — The gloomy skies and wet weather did not spoil the Veterans Day celebration at the National Guard Armory in Elizabethtown Tuesday morning. The Veterans Day ceremony was held under the flag pole on the grounds of the Armory with the flags at half-staf in remembrance of the 13 killed at Fort Hood, Texas. 

LTC Roy Allen, East Bladen JROTC instructor, began the welcome cermony and the East Bladen High School JROTC presented the colors. The West Bladen band performed the National Anthem followed by the Pledge of Allegiance and, later in the program, they performed Amazing Grace. The invocation was given by Retired Major Rev. Rachel Mitchell. 

Greetings to the veterans was delivered by Dr. Deliah Blanks, vice-chair of the Bladen County Commissioners; Manfred Emmrich, director of the Employment Security Commision; and William Findt, president of Bladen Community College.

Elizabethtown Mayor Sylvia Cambpell gave recognition to the veterans and visitors.

In a special presentation, many Bladen County Schools students were recognized for their participation in the fourth annual Veterans Day ceremony. This year's essay contest theme, "The Sacrifices of a Veteran," awarded the grand prize in the high school division to Samantha Lynn Bishop of West Bladen High School and, in the middle school division, to Dylan Campbell of Clarkton School of Discovery. Other essay winners included in the high school division were: first place - Korey Bryant from West Bladen High School, second place - Nick Novak from West Bladen High School, and third place - Cory Thomas from West Bladen High School. In the middle school division, other winners were: first place - Miller Heustess from Clarkton School of Discovery, second place - Kelsey Hammond, Molly High and Ashley Cable, all from Clarkton School of Discovery, and third place - Hannah Campbell, Margaret Clark and Ethan White, all from Clarkton School of Discovery.  

Ann Garrett of the Employment Security Commission and Robert Lewis of the town of Elizabethtown presented a memorial tribute to Frank Baker. Baker and Garrett, working together, made sure Elizabethtown would begin and continue a Veterans Day cermony. 

Introduction to the speaker, Command Sgt. Major Roger N. Daigle Jr., was given by First Sgt. Hiram Reynolds, retired Army and West Bladen High School JROTC Instructor. 

Daigle said in his address to the veterans gathered and the community, “Our Veterans have a lot of obstacles to over come. Some suffer from physical injuries, mental injuries and PTSD, and we are faced with a lot of sucides in the military. All of these are problems veterans and their families face everyday. They have to have the willpower to get help and there are many agencies set up to provide help for veterans and their families.  

“All of our service men and women have families, weather it be parents, wives or children and while they are on active duty it is important for each of them to be in contact with one another. With today’s technology, our troops are able to communicate with their families through e-mails almost daily. This technology can often retain and maintain family connections.”

As Daigle closed his address, it began to sprinkle rain and the remainder of the activities were moved inside the Armory.