William Byrd High School celebrates veterans

By Debbie Adams

William Byrd High School, led by the Navy JROTC cadets, celebrated the “strength, resilience,
bravery, commitment, and service” of veterans on November 11. They honored those “who in
times of war or peace, have stood ready to defend us all.”

The cadets first welcomed veterans for a meet-and-greet breakfast in the school’s auxiliary gym,
followed by a solemn Flag Retirement Ceremony on the front portico. Veterans were asked to
stand and be recognized – and applauded. The Color Guard presented the colors. Cadet Alexis
Short performed the national anthem.

William Byrd student Ava Ashworth of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes honored veterans
with a reading, saying “we can live freely because they have sacrificed so much.”

The elements of the flag retirement ceremony were explained to attendees, noting that when an
American flag is no longer a fitting emblem for display, it should be destroyed in a dignified
way, preferably by burning.

Cadet Truslow said, “These banners of freedom before you are worn, tattered, and soiled from
weather, use, and age. The broad stripes, no longer fiery red and pure white, are now faded and
worn out. The stars and blue background are no longer vivid reminders of our blue skies and
great land, of the purity, vigilance, and justice the flag should represent. They have flown
proudly over the years and have done their job well, but now it is time to replace them with new
flags representing this great nation of ours.”

Cadet Short read a poem about the American flag saying, “I am your flag. I was born on June 14,
1777. I am more than just a piece of cloth shaped into a colorful design; I am the silent sentinel
of freedom for the greatest sovereign nation on earth. I am the inspiration for which American
patriots gave their lives and fortunes; I am the emblem of America. I have led your sons and
daughters into battle from Valley Forge to Afghanistan. I have been there through the Civil War,
two World Wars, and countless conflicts. I was there at Gettysburg, Flanders, Korea, the Persian
Gulf, all of them. I was there with George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt,
John F. Kennedy, and I am here with you now. I have flown in peace and war, through strife and
prosperity, and amidst it all, I have always been respected.

“My red stripes symbolize the blood spilled in defense of this glorious nation. My white stripes
represent the purity of the brave soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines who fought for freedom
and the burning tears shed by Americans who lost their sons and daughters in battle. My blue
field represents God’s Heaven under which I fly, and my stars, clustered together, unify the 50
states as one for God and Country.

“I am Old Glory and I proudly wave on high. Honor me, respect me, and defend me with your
lives. Never let our enemies tear me down from my lofty position, lest I never return. Keep alight
the fires of patriotism, strive earnestly for the spirit of democracy, and keep me always as a
symbol of freedom, liberty, and peace in our country.

“When comes the time that I am old and faded, do not let me fly in disrepair, rather retire me
from my duties only to replace me with a new flag so that I may continue to symbolize our
country. With this, renew your commitment to what I stand for.”

After the flags were committed to the flames, William Byrd band members Celiann Baldwin and
Ryan McIntyre performed “Echo Taps.”

Cadet Truslow explained, ““Taps’ is played to honor our fallen comrades. It is a symbol of honor
and respect for the deceased. In this case, ‘Taps’ is played for the simple fact that we are retiring
America’s most valued and respected symbol, our nation’s flag.”

At the conclusion of the ceremony, Cadet Wood said, “Today, we are retiring American flags
that have endured years of weather and wear. We will not, however, forget those among us who,
like these American flags, have fought battles. Today, we would like to present one of these
special people with the grommets from our retired American flags. The grommets, the metal
rings by which the flags have hung for so long, are symbols of good fortune and tokens of good
luck. By presenting these grommets, we, the William Byrd Navy JROTC and indeed, the entire
school, are saying that we stand behind you. We support you, and we will hold you up. This
year, the Navy JROTC cadets and the William Byrd High School recognize the battles that one
of our students, Camden Thepsimuong, has been fighting – a battle against bone cancer. The
grommets will be presented to him.”

Quite a few veterans accepted the invitation to the Flag Retirement Ceremony, including:

• Corporal Stephen Wood who served for six years in the United States Marine Corps. He
  was deployed twice to Iraq. He is a 2006 graduate of William Byrd, stationed at Marine
  Corps Base Hawaii. His daughter is one of the Navy JROTC cadets.
• Lance Corporal Gage Truslow is on active duty serving in the USMC, stationed at Camp
  LeJeune. He has served for two years.
• Charles Carter, 2nd Class Petty Officer (E-5) was a mechanic, serving on the Midway
  aircraft carrier in Vietnam (the largest ship in the world at the time, now a museum in San
  Diego). He served from 1965 through 1971. The Midway transported refugees from
  Vietnam fleeing the country at the end of the war. Carter noted that the ship was so full of
  people, that even the soldiers had no beds.
• Sgt. Patton Kelly served in the Marine Corps for five years from 2006-2011. He is
  originally from Franklin County and was stationed as an aircraft mechanic in Kaneohe
  Bay, Hawaii—as one of the HMH-362 “Ugly Angels.”
• Gordon Menzies served in both the United States Army (22 years) and the Navy Reserves
  (3 and a half years. In his time in the military, he served twice in Germany, a year in
  Vietnam, in Panama, in Georgia, and at Fort Dix, New Jersey. His daughter Heather is
  retired as a flight nurse from the United States Air Force; she was deployed abroad seven
  times, twice in Afghanistan.
• United States Navy Captain Powers is a 1969 William Byrd graduate who served for 35
  years in numerous locations and positions as an Intelligence Officer.
• Senior Master Sgt. Paul Richardson, who was an instructor when William Byrd’s
  program was an Air Force program, served for over 24 years, mainly as a recruiter for the
  region.
• Captain Daniel Wickham was the second Corps Commander of the AFJROTC program
  at Byrd. He served stateside in the Air Force for four years, and nowadays continues to be
  involved with veterans by heading up the Roanoke Veterans Day parade.
• Another William Byrd AFJROTC Corps Commander (2014-2015), Sgt. Michael Adams
  (E-5), also attended this year’s event. He was stationed in Germany and served from
  2015-2021.
• Byrd student (Class of 2011), Shannon Palmer, served in the Army. She led the
  AFJROTC Raiders team at Byrd.
• Staff Sgt. Christopher Atkins served in the Marine Corps from 1987-1994, serving in the
  Gulf War.
• Sgt. 1st Class Deon Matthews served in the USMC for six years and in the US Army
  reserves since 2006. He was deployed to Somalia, Afghanistan, and Haiti, serving in
  Communications.
• Roanoke County Fire &  Rescue members Ethan Walton and Wayne King also attended
  the Veterans Day celebration. USN Petty Officer 2nd Class Walton was a member of the
  AFJROTC at Byrd. In fact, his father helped bring the program to the school. Walton
  served during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. He is a 2009
  graduate of WBHS.
• King served in the US Army infantry stateside for nine years, advancing to the rank of
  Corporal (E-5). He is a 1992 graduate of William Byrd.
• Sgt. Joshua Crellin, USMC, is on active duty serving as a recruiter in the Roanoke area.
  He has served for seven years, beginning as an aircraft mechanic. He has been deployed
  twice to Africa, in Somalia and Djibouti.