The Town of Vinton and the Vinton Veterans Outreach Committee honored veterans with a
“Salute to Service” ceremony at the Vinton War Memorial Field of Honor on Nov. 6.
Town employees honored included veterans Mayor Brad Grose, Chief of Police Fabricio
Drumond, Sgt. Brandon Alterio, Cpl. Jesse Dibble, Officer Sean McKittrick, Det. Jacob Miller,
Public Works Equipment Operator II Tim Perdue, and Code Enforcement Officer James
Stephenson, Jr.
The Field of Honor is located on the front lawn of the memorial each November in observance of
Veterans Day. This year there are 300 flags flying in honor and remembrance.
Mayor Grose welcomed guests to the ceremony. Shield Chaplain Gareth Stephenson blessed the
field with prayer. Shield Chaplaincy is a Roanoke-based nonprofit which supports local law
enforcement officers through the host of challenges they face professionally and personally.
(from left) Human Resources and Risk Management Director Donna Collins, Police Chief
Fabricio Drumond, Mayor Brad Grose, Deputy Police Chief Tim Lawless, VPD Lt. Scott Hurt,
VPD Sgt. Brandon Alterio, Director of Cultural Placemaking and Events Mandy Adkins,
Administrative Assistant Shaye Hicks, and Capital Projects Manager Jamie Hurt.
Chief Drumond delivered the Veterans Tribute Address, saying, “First and foremost, I want to
express my deepest gratitude to the Town of Vinton for once again showing what makes this
community so extraordinary. Year after year, you remind us what it means to love our country,
not just in words, but in action, by honoring the men and women who have worn our nation’s
uniform. Your continued pride and patriotism reflect the very spirit of America: unity and the
unwavering respect for those who serve under the flag that stands for freedom and hope.
Tribute Address at the Salute to Service ceremony.
“A special thank you to the Veterans Committee and every individual who plays a part in
bringing the Field of Honor to life. Your dedication transforms gratitude into something visible,
a sea of flags that reminds us that every name, every story, and every sacrifice matters.
“Today we gather in the heart of Vinton, a town built on pride, purpose, and people, to honor
those whose courage gave us the very freedom to stand here in peace. Our veterans and war
heroes, men and women from this small, but mighty town, have carried our nation’s banner into
places far beyond these Blue Ridge hills. They are proof that greatness does not come from
where you are, but from what you are willing to stand for.
“Our veterans come from every walk of life. They are our teachers, our nurses, our doctors, our
mechanics, our office workers, and our farmers. They are everyday Americans who once put
aside their lives to do something extraordinary. They are the neighbors who teach our children,
care for our sick, run our businesses, and keep our communities strong. They remind us that
service to this nation is not a calling for the few; it is the duty and privilege of the many.
“Vinton, like so many towns across America, is a place of quiet strength. The kind of strength
seen in the eyes of a service member’s mother watching her child leave home for the first time.
The kind of strength seen when a flag is raised each morning over our schools. The kind of
strength that lives in our shared love of country and our trust in God’s enduring grace.
“Our veterans have stood the test of time, answering the call in our nation’s greatest triumphs
and darkest trials. From the first shots of freedom that birthed this great Republic, to the blood-
stained fields of Europe, through the dense jungles of Vietnam, across the scorching sands of the
Middle East, and at every distant post where peace demanded protectors, they have carried the
flag of liberty with unwavering resolve. Their courage is the thread that binds our nation’s story,
a story written in sacrifice, duty, and undying love for America.
“American sons and daughters have always answered the call of duty, leaving behind the
comfort of home to stand guard over freedom’s promise. Some returned to these shores and
quietly built the very fabric of our communities. They became teachers, coaches, business
owners, and mentors, continuing to serve not through uniform, but through example. Others
never returned, having given their last full measure of devotion on foreign soil. Our towns, like
so many others across the American landscape, have produced giants in spirit, men and women
who have written the story of American service with their own hands and hearts.
“In 1991, during the Gulf War, the United States entered a new chapter in the defense of
freedom. Among the countless Americans who stepped forward was a young Army combat
engineer, a first lieutenant attached to the 27th Engineer Battalion, 20th Engineer Brigade. Like
many others, he downplayed the danger of his work, telling his mother he was simply building
airfields and bridges, never revealing that his true mission was to disarm mines and keep his
soldiers safe.
“On February 26, just three days after his 25th birthday, under poor visibility from oil fires and
sandstorms near Al-Salman Airfield in Iraq, that young lieutenant led from the front, clearing a
minefield to protect his men. That day, an explosion took his life along with the lives of six of
his fellow soldiers. He was only 25 years old.
“But his story is not one of loss. It is one of legacy. He was the kind of young man every town
hopes to raise: humble, faithful, driven, and dedicated to service. A high school valedictorian
with a perfect 4.0 GPA, a scholar, athlete, and leader who inspired others not by words, but by
example. At the Virginia Military Institute, he lived by the code of integrity, humility, and
service before self. He did not chase recognition; it followed him because of who he was.
“This lieutenant’s life reminds us that the measure of a person is not found in how long they live,
but in how deeply they live for others. He left behind lessons for all our youth: that excellence begins in the classroom, leadership begins in humility, and true greatness is found in serving
others quietly and faithfully.
“He left behind a reminder to all of us that leadership is about courage, character, and the
willingness to do what is right, even when no one is watching. His story still shapes the
community that raised him, a place that remembers its heroes not only through monuments, but
by living the values they stood for: faith, courage, and service.
“That young lieutenant was 1st Lt. Terry Plunk, and he was one of our own, a son of Vinton,
Virginia. 1st Lt. Plunk, a graduate of William Byrd High School, lies in rest today at Mountain
View Cemetery.
who lost his life in the Gulf War.
“Those who dare to strike at our homeland or challenge the American way of life will never
prevail, for this nation, under God, cannot be broken. We are a people shaped by faith and
strengthened through every storm. Our foundation was laid by early settlers who believed in a
revolutionary idea that free people could govern themselves in a land built on liberty, justice,
courage, and love of neighbor. And though centuries have passed, that same spirit endures within
us today. We are still a people who work hard, dream boldly, and stand together in the face of
adversity. By God’s grace, the strength that carried our founders through their trials continues to
guide us, ensuring that American will forever stand tall.
“When tragedy comes, we do not fall; we rise. When adversity strikes, we do not yield, we push
forward. Every challenge, every heartbreak, every loss only deepens our resolve and reminds us
of the divine purpose behind our freedom. The American spirit is not one of fear, but of faith; not
of retreat, but of renewal.
“Our veterans are the living embodiment of that sacred spirit. They stepped forward when others
stood back. They carried the weight of duty so that others could know peace. They carried our
flag into battle, guided by the light of God and the love of country. They prove that America’s
strength is not found in her weapons or her wealth, but in the hearts of those willing to serve a
cause greater than themselves.
“To our veterans: you are the guardians of freedom and the stewards of God’s great blessing, this
land we call the United States. Our duty, as your fellow citizens, is to never let our gratitude fade
and to ensure that every generation understands that freedom was purchased at a price, paid in
courage, faith, and sacrifice.
“Across distant lands, our service members stand as America’s ambassadors of faith and
freedom. Through their actions, the world sees what it truly means to be an American, to walk
humbly, act bravely, serve selflessly, and believe in something greater than oneself. We are the
shining city on a hill, a beacon of hope that reminds the world that freedom and faith can coexist
and that both are worth defending.
“We are not a perfect nation, but we are a blessed one, blessed beyond measure by the grace of
Almighty God. If the world is canvas, then America, stitched together by faith, sacrifice, and
freedom, is the masterpiece.
“So today, with hearts overflowing with pride and gratitude, and on behalf of the Town of
Vinton and a grateful nation, we say thank you. Thank you for your courage. Thank you for your
faith. And thank you for proving that the American dream lives on through those who serve.”
Vinton Human Resources and Risk Management Director Donna Collins, also a founder of the
Vinton Veterans Outreach Committee, concluded the ceremony with the reading of “Freedom
Isn’t Free” and read the names of local veterans.
