Ministry pays tribute to local veterans

From left, Billy Leach and Gary Gulledge of the Rowan Military Honor Guard listen as Dave Shaver plays the bugle at the end of a rifle volley at Abundant Living on Thursday. Other Honor Guard members include Gene Rumples, Lewis Reid, Roy Morris and Willie Grayford. Photo by Steve Huffman, Salisbury Post.

David Hand, commander of the Rowan Military Honor Guard, leads members in a salute Thursday at Abundant Living. Photo by Steve Huffman, Salisbury Post.

Commander David Hand watches as, from left, Billy Leach, Gary Gulledge and Gene Rumples fire volleys Thursday during festivities at Abundant Living. Photo by Steve Huffman, Salisbury Post.

By Steve Huffman

shuffman@salisburypost.com

They honored their veterans Thursday at Abundant Living Adult Day Services.

They honored them with song and the pledge of allegiance, and a rifle volley that came courtesy of the Rowan Military Honor Guard.

But first they had to get the veterans to line up to be recognized.

"Jack, are you a veteran?" one of the ministry's workers asked a senior citizen who takes advantage of the adult day service.

Jack acknowledged that he was.

"Get up here, then," he was told.

Totaled, there were nine veterans at Abundant Living on Thursday. They lined up in the courtyard of the facility on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard for a photograph.

Thursday's activities were planned by Linda Taylor, the activities director at Abundant Living. The happenings coincided with both the Fourth of July and the recent erection of a flagpole there in the courtyard at Abundant Living.

The flagpole was erected as part of an Eagle Scout project by Josh Mowery, a member of Boy Scout Troop 443, sponsored by St. John's Lutheran Church. Mowery is the son of Christine Mowery of Salisbury and Mark Mowery of Charlotte. Josh's Scoutmaster is Henry Trexler.

Funding for the flagpole and lighting came through Salisbury's Order of the Elks, lodge 699.

"We're thrilled to get it," said Barbara Garwood, Abundant Living's executive director. "We're very proud."

Bob Evans, 80, was one of the veterans at Abundant Living Thursday. He spent more than 22 years in the Army and allowed, "I'd go back today if I could."

Evans left the Army as a master sergeant and served tours of duty in Korea, Vietnam and Germany, the latter of which is where he met his wife, Kathy. The couple have three children and three grandchildren.

Evans earned two purple hearts and three bronze stars while a soldier. He said ceremonies like Thursday's — while simple — mean a great deal to him and other veterans.

"We don't get the attention I think we should," Evans said.

Thanks to everybody from a Boy Scout to staff members at Abundant Living, those veterans got a fair amount of attention Thursday.