By Barbara Augsdorfer, editor for the Effingham Herald
Effingham County marked and celebrated Veterans’ Day Monday morning at Veterans’ Park in Springfield.
Scheduled to start at 11 a.m. – the exact time that the Armistice was signed 106 years ago to mark the end of WWI on Nov. 11, 1918 – the 2024 event was delayed 20 minutes to allow special guest Attorney General Christopher Carr to arrive from the airport. His plane had been delayed leaving from Atlanta.
The delay didn’t seem to damper the occasion as the crowd patiently waited and a few people walked the short distance to the Memorial wall where names of Effingham County residents who served in the military are listed and remembered.
Originally called Armistice Day, the name was changed to Veterans’ Day by Congress on June 1, 1954, “So that we could honor all Americans who fought and served during all conflicts and all wars,” said Maj. Danny Burgstiner, USAF (ret.).
“We have the opportunity to pay tribute to the American men and women who have served or are serving in our country's armed forces. It is through their tireless dedication to sacrifice, they have given us the privileges of freedom, democracy, and unmatched opportunities that we enjoy today,” Burgstiner continued. “Let us never forget the selfless efforts of those who served, fought and sacrificed to preserve our country's precious liberties and freedoms.”
Attorney General Carr praised the service and sacrifice of the veterans and their families in attendance. And reminded the members of the audience who are not veterans that they should always thank a veteran for their selfless service to defend the freedoms every American enjoys.
“It’s because of such uncommon valor that we set aside special days like this every year to commemorate the selflessness of -- and to pay tribute to -- those who served our nation. The strength and resilience of the United States was built by the husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers who fought, bled, sweated, sacrificed and endured,” Carr said.
“We are stronger today because of their service. Georgia is home to nearly 700,000 veterans, which is why we will continue to proudly stand with and support our military veterans and their families in Georgia,” Carr added. “We proudly choose to value our heroes with every opportunity that is granted to us, to our veterans. Your service was not confined to a handful of days a year; so, neither should our expression of thanks every day.”
Carr concluded saying that everyone should express appreciation to all veterans.
“We elected officials and the public at large must express our appreciation in our words and in our actions to our veterans and all the men and women who stood in the breach to defend our nation,” Carr concluded. “I want to thank you for allowing me to serve as your attorney general, and please know that you will always have a friend and an unwavering supporter in my office and me.”
