The Sandhills Chapter of the Military Officer’s Association of America (MOAA), will hold a special Memorial Day Observance at The Village Chapel in Pinehurst on Monday, May 27, at 3 p.m.
Attendees will be welcomed by Nick Christopher, COL United States Army (Retired), current president of Sandhills MOAA.
US Army Major General (ret) Fred Irizarry will be the featured speaker for the service.
The service will include a Bagpipe Prelude, presentation of colors by the Pinecrest High School Junior ROTC Cadets and a performance of patriotic music by the 82nd Airborne Brass Quintet and the Golf Capital Chorus Ensemble. The event will also include a reception supported by MOAA Women.
As part of MOAA’s ongoing recognition of and service to veterans, the Sandhills Chapter has managed a monument, dedicated to Moore County veterans, since the early 1990’s. Veterans of all ranks are included.
The granite monument is six feet high by eighteen feet wide, and honors veterans who have served during all wars and conflicts dating from World War I to the current Middle East engagements. The American flag and a POW/MIA flag fly above the monument. The emblems of the five U.S. Armed Forces are engraved on the monument, which bears the following inscription:
“In Honor And Memory Of All Veterans Who Served Our Country In Times Of Peace And War And To Those Who Paid The Supreme Sacrifice So That We Might Enjoy Freedom. Their Spirit, Love And Devotion To Country Will Be Forever Remembered”
The monument is in Cannon Park in Pinehurst, near the corner of N.C. 211 and Rattlesnake Trail. It honors veterans of the seven Uniformed Services of the United States, including both living veterans and veterans who have passed.
The memorial grows each year as veterans and/or family members request individual 8-inch by 12-inch granite stones, which are personalized with the veteran’s name, rank, and service. There are currently more than 225 individual stones installed at the base of the monument.
Families can memorialize their veteran for the $90 cost of the appropriately engraved stone. Veteran volunteers take care of the installation of the stones, as well as any other memorial requirements.
As new stones are added, family members and veterans are invited to commemorate the occasion at the memorial creating a moving experience where veterans and loved ones share memories, stories, and form new relationships.
MOAA is the nation’s largest and most influential association of military officers. It is a powerful force speaking for a strong national defense and representing the interests of military service members and their families at every stage of their careers. All military officers are invited to join, regardless of status; formerly served, active duty or retired.
For more information about the Sandhills Chapter of MOAA or their Annual Memorial Day Observance, visit their website at SandhillsMOAA.org
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