Wednesday, May 22, 2002
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Wednesday, May 22, 2002 |
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PTC's Memorial Day fest to feature Guard band By JOHN MUNFORD
Peachtree City's Memorial Day celebration will have more than just a patriotic theme this year. It will have a patriotic tune, thanks to the Air National Guard Band of the South, which is slated to perform. The guest speaker is Navy Chaplain George W. Pucciarelli, who was an eyewitness to the aftermath of the 1983 terrorist attack on the U.S. military in Beirut, Lebanon that killed 241 servicemen. Also, the "Memorial Day Surprise," consisting of memorabilia from local veterans and servicemen, will be unveiled during the ceremony. Military anti-aircraft weapons will also be on display. The ceremony is slated to begin at the VFW Memorial at City Hall Plaza at 7:45 a.m. This year's theme is "Eternal Vigilance: The American Spirit Reawakens," a reference to the nation's response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Pucciarelli, a 30-year Navy veteran, said the attacks brought up his memories of the Beirut incident. Under sniper fire, he and others entered the Marine barracks that exploded, helping bring out the dead and wounded. He gave last rites to the dead and emotional support to the injured and rescue/recovery workers. The terrorist attacks last year resonated familiar undertones with Pucciarelli. "Serving both in Beirut and Desert Shield/Storm, I gave witness to the destructive and vindictive motives of those who hate America and what we stand for," he wrote in a letter accepting the speaking engagement. "Now it is time to deal with these issues head on, to face these people and deal with them accordingly. It has been long overdue!" He also noted that since Sept. 11, "Grieving families and sensitized citizens of every state in the union have merged together to mourn the loss of so many. Together, they have ignited a new national spirit, resulting in a unique resolution to free evil from all peoples in all nations of the world." Pucciarelli is now the chaplain at the Naval Security Group at Fort Meade in Maryland. The event at City Hall will be touched off by the arrival of the golf cart procession that will leave The Gathering Place at 7:30 a.m. Coffee and donuts will be served to participants in the procession beginning at 7 a.m. Participants are urged to decorate their golf carts in a patriotic motif. Following the ceremony, the Air National Guard Band of the South will perform a concert, at approximately 9 a.m.
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