ROCKINGHAM — A handful of children “made the day” of at least one veteran and inspired many others on a Flag Day morning spent at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4203 Auxiliary in which they learned the meaning behind the flags and monuments on display at the VFW’s Memorial Park.
There were 10 veterans to match the 10 children from Kidz Konstruction day care center who stood in a line and, one by one, the children sought out a veteran to give them a gift they had made themselves: a “firework” made out of Popsicle sticks and a red, white and blue heart made out of tissue paper as a thank you for their service.
The children also recited the “Pledge of Allegiance,” sang “Jesus Loves Me” and “This Land is Your Land,” and read the poem, “The Flag” by Betty Bose.
“Always respect the flag because many people have given their lives for that flag,” said retired Sgt. Maj. of the Army Gary Weyant in his presentation to the children gathered in the park.
The VFW’s Memorial Park, which is set to expand following the purchase of the neighboring land, includes a flag for every major military campaign the United States has engaged in, as well as one of only two Battlefield Cross statues in North Carolina, according to incoming Post 4203 Commander Eddie Dean.
Dean explained that the Battlefield Cross consists of a fallen soldier’s boots, their weapon planted in the ground between them with their helmet on top and dog tags hanging off. The soldier’s comrades then gather around to hold a memorial service of prayer, sharing stories and remembrance.
Lorie Tew, owner of Kidz Konstruction, said that there were at least three children who had never met a veteran before.
The children got a special visit from retired Lt. Col. Jon Ring, fresh from a two-week stay in France visiting World War II battle sites and making the same jump the 101st Airborne Pathfinders made as the lead element of the D-Day invasion of Normandy, France on June 6, 1944.
With his voice steeped in a knowing appreciation for the meaning of the day that can only be gained from a veteran’s pilgrimage to one of the most historic battle sites in the world, Ring described the positive impact the U.S. military service men had on the world by stopping the Nazis.
“(The French during Nazi occupation) didn’t have any of their own way of life about them, they were really desperate, and then the United States military — along with out allies — invaded that place and got rid of the ‘bad guys,’” Ring told the children as the flag of the 101st Airborne flew beside him. “When you ask anybody … what (the American flag) stands for, usually they’ll say one word: liberty.
“It’s a really powerful word, liberty. It means you get to do what you want to do. It means you’re in charge of your own self. It means your country is your country,” he continued.
Ring said he was aware that the children may only take bits and pieces of information away from his talk, but what’s most important is that they are at least exposed to what it took to have the country they live in today. He recounted a moment on his trip when children walked the graves of the soldiers that died on D-Day, which he said mirrored the scene Friday of the children walking through the crosses and head stones at the Memorial Park (it is not a cemetery).
“There’s this saying that, ‘as long as you speak they’re names, they’re still with us,’” Ring said in an interview after his presentation to the children as his emotions took over. “It’s powerful, it’s powerful … This is my opportunity to try to help educate these kids.”
It happened to be Ring’s birthday on Friday, and the children sang him “Happy Birthday” before he left.
“That just made my day,” Ring said.
Vernon Labore, junior vice commander of Post 4203 and a a veteran of the Army who served in Desert Storm and Desert Shield, as well as the Iraq War, said it was “great honor” to receive the gifts from the children.
“It’s nice to see the younger generation doing that,” Labore said. “It’s important for them to know that many Americans have lost their lives for our freedom.”
Retired Sgt. for the Army Tim Kendig said there’s a lack of patriotism in the U.S. today and when he was a child, events like the VFW’s weren’t needed.
“Back then people were much more patriotic,” Kendig said. “When a veteran walked in the room everybody stood in awe … it meant so much more 40 to 50 ears ago than it does today.”
