Wreaths will be hung at the Garner Veterans Memorial and our Gold Star families will be recognized on Saturday, Dec. 21 at 10 a.m., at Lake Benson Park. The public is invited.
2018 Wreath Laying Ceremony
The wreaths, one each for the five branches of service, will be placed at the memorial by military personnel. Two members of the honor guard from Seymour Johnson Air Force base, U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Bani Bunyan, recently retired U.S. Marine Capt. Trey Grissom, U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer George F. Lauff, Jr.; U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer First Class Jason Trail and U.S. Army Major General Charles Scott (retired) are expected to form the military escort.
Bagpipes played by Jeff Hammerstein will lead the Town of Garner's Honor Guard to the memorial.
After the wreaths are hung, each of the escort will hang a star on the tree in honor of the families of the men represented by the gold stars. The public is invited to hang stars in honor of the families of the loved one who died while in military service.
Sixty-six stars already are hanging on the tree in honor of the 66 community men who were killed while in the military.
Recognizing Garner’s Vietnam Veterans
There will be special recognition of our Vietnam veterans.
Eight men from the community were killed in Vietnam.
The Wall That Heals, a traveling ¾ scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, will visit Lake Benson Park on April 16-19. The Wall that Heals is 400-foot long and 7.5 feet high at its tallest point. It is expected to be located near the Garner Veterans Memorial.
The Wall That Heals travels with a mobile learning center.
Learn more about The Wall That Heals visit to Garner below.