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South Fairmont Rotary honors veterans with breakfast

Times West Virginian - 11/11/2017

Nov. 11--FAIRMONT -- The South Fairmont Rotary Club honored veterans of the armed services Friday by celebrating their sacrifices with a breakfast presentation.

At 8 a.m., dozens of veterans, family members and Rotary members gathered in the conference room of the Robert H. Mollohan Research Center.

The program began with a flag presentation and Pledge of Allegiance led by Boy Scout Troop 7, followed by a special recognition of veterans in the audience.

Sherry Carr played her accordion as a slide show projected lyrics and military-themed imagery on the wall while inviting each of the five branches to stand and be recognized.

All facets of the armed forces were represented in the audience, with more than 60 veterans present in total.

"Freedom isn't free, a fact that's engraved of the Korean War memorial in Washington, D.C.," Rotary Co-Chair Jim Chadwell said. "It's a phrase that we can all use to describe our gratitude and the recognition of the fact that maintaining a democracy can only be achieved by the risks and by the sacrifices of our military."

Before introducing keynote speaker Alan Mollohan, Chadwell thanked the military men and women in the room for the things they do that uphold the freedoms of others.

Mollohan, a former U.S. representative of West Virginian and member of the Army Reserves, spoke of the importance of recognizing the significance of the work veterans do.

"This is the day that we set aside each year to celebrate the service of all U.S. military veterans," Mollohan said. "Veterans whose service we will never forget and we will always honor."

He went on to give a brief history of the holiday, explaining how it evolved from the celebration of the signing of the armistice at 11 a.m. on Nov. 11, 1918, which ended World War I.

"It's a day of thanks for the service of other," Mollohan said.

Teaching this respect of the sacrifice of others to the next generation is of much importance, Mollohan said, adding that he feels many youth do not comprehend the significance of these actions.

"Today, as we enjoy the fruits of that toil, we must also inherit the responsibility of defending that gift," Mollohan said.

The global threat of terrorism and unstable leaders are the challenges of the present day, he said, and those threats require the nation to be as vigilant as it was after the attacks on 9/11.

"Around the world our men and women in uniform stand ready to fight," Mollohan said, "guaranteeing and defending that freedom of which we spoke."

Email Carter Walker at cwalker@timeswv.com and follow him on Twitter at @carterw284.

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(c)2017 the Times West Virginian (Fairmont, W. Va.)

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