NORTH VERNON — Again, on the 11 hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month, the annual ceremony in honor of Veterans Day was held at Hillcrest City Cemetery in North Vernon.
“Hurry up everybody, this year we’re going to make it on the actual 11th minute of the 11th hour,” said Dennis Ferguson, the chaplain of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2021 before the start of the event.
Traditional ceremonies marking Veterans Day often begin at 11 a.m. on Nov. 11 each year because on that date and time in 1918 an armistice ended the fighting of World War I.
Originally, the holiday was called Armistice Day and was meant to be held in honor of all those who fought in WWI. However, as time passed and other wars followed, the name was changed to Veterans Day in honor of all who have served in the military.
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Today, traditional Veterans Day ceremonies still pay tribute to the marking of the end of the fighting of WWI. Ceremonies also include lowering the flag to half mast, prayers, speeches, a ceremonial firing squad, the playing of “Taps,” and the raising of the flag.
For generations, local service clubs such as the VFW, AMVETS and the American Legion provided the honor guard units for the Jennings County ceremony.
In recent years, the Vernon Civil War reenactment units have also participated in the annual Hillcrest Cemetery Veterans Day ceremony.
This year, the VFW and members of the Vernon Honor Guard manned the honor guard and firing squad together.
At Ferguson’s command, the honor guard/firing squad took their place in a line and the guest speakers stood ready to address an audience of a couple dozen people.
Though Veterans Days is primarily in honor of living veterans, the flag is traditionally lowered during the ceremony in honor of all veterans who did not make it home.
Ferguson began the ceremony with a prayer and North Vernon Mayor Mike Ochs followed with a short speech.
Additional speakers included AMVETS Post 7 Commander Tom Cartwright, VFW Post 2021 Commander Art Fields, Jennings County Veterans Service Officer Dave Stocks and keynote speaker Retired Air Force Colonel Steve Graham.
Following the speeches, the honor guard fired a three-volley salute and George Uppling played Taps on his bugle.
The flag was then returned to high mast and the ceremony was ended.
After the ceremony, participants gathered to congratulate each other on successfully completing the ceremony that has been conducted in the area for generations.
“We’re not going to let something like COVID stop this,” said participants Ferguson and Fields in almost perfect unison.
