Friday, May 4, 2001
Friday, May 4, 2001 |
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PTC Memorial Day will feature Vietnam veteran 21-gun salute and essay contest Peachtree City's annual Memorial Day ceremony will be jazzed up by a new feature this year: a 21-gun salute from a Marine Corps firing detail. The ceremony will be held May 28 at City Hall Plaza, with a rain location of First Presbyterian Church which is across the street from City Hall. The theme of this year's ceremony is "Pay Any Price, Bear Any Burden Honoring Those Who Paid the Ultimate Price for Our Freedom." An essay contest with that theme is being sponsored again for fifth through eight graders residing in Peachtree City or attending schools in Peachtree City. The top three winners will receive savings bonds. Preliminary events at the ceremony will begin at 7:30 a.m. with a golf cart procession from The Gathering Place on McIntosh Trail to City Hall Plaza. Music will begin at 7:45 a.m. and the ceremony will begin upon arrival of the procession, which will be ushered in by color guards from the Veterans of Foreign Wars and Marine Corps Junior ROTC. The guest speaker will be Tommy Clack, an Army veteran who served as a forward observer in Vietnam. He was awarded the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart Medal and two Air Medals among others. He was severely wounded May 29, 1969 in a firefight on the Cambodian border. He lost both legs above the knee, all of his right arm and suffered internal injuries and loss of hearing. Clack spent 21 months in hospitals afterward, going through 33 operations. He has overcome his troubles, however, and has travelled America as a public speaker for 29 years. Clack is currently the field office manager of the Veterans Administration office in Conyers, overseeing veterans services for three counties. "Mr. Clack has certainly paid a heavy personal price to preserve the freedom we, as Americans, often take for granted, said Randy Gaddo, who has coordinated the event. "I believe he will bring a very special perspective and a poignant message to our celebration." The ceremony will include the reading of winning essay entries, displays of military weapons and equipment and music from Music Alive. The event is free and open to the public. It is held early in the morning "so people can celebrate the true meaning of Memorial Day and enjoy the freedom of spending time with family and friends," Gaddo said. The ceremony is sponsored by the Peachtree City Veterans of Foreign Wards, the Peachtree City Kiwanis Club and the City of Peachtree City.
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