Friday, May 23, 2003
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Friday, May 23, 2003 |
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Monday boasts Memorial Day festivities in Peachtree City
Peachtree City will offer several Memorial Day events this Monday, starting at 7 a.m. with the golf cart procession from The Gathering Place to City Hall Plaza. "I remember the first time I saw it," said Randy Gaddo, Memorial Day coordinator and a retired Marine. He recalls the sight as the train of golf carts came across the highway 54 golf cart bridge over Lake Peachtree on Memorial Day at about 7:30 a.m. in 1999. It was slightly foggy that day, so a light misty vapor was rising up off the lake. "The sun was coming up behind them, and they were all decorated in red, white and blue, and it was just the most unusual, dramatic, mobile expression of patriotism I had ever witnessed," he said. After coffee and donuts in the Gathering Place, more than 200 people in their golf carts start their 2-mile ride around Lake Peachtree. The public is invited to join the golf cart procession. Just show up in your golf cart at 7 a.m. Monday at the Gathering Place. Or, you can join the procession as it makes its way around the lake. Organizers ask that you decorate your cart patriotically. The formal portion of the Memorial Day ceremony starts at 8 a.m. This year Music Alive and the Community Band will both be on hand to entertain and perform ceremony music. This year's program will feature a youth segment, with a local Junior ROTC unit performing, and the winner of the essay contest reading her winning essay. A group of local young men and women will perform a drill routine that won them state recognition. Cadets of the Marine Corps Junior ROTC unit at East Coweta High School will perform during a segment of the program dedicated to youth participants. "It is important that we involve young men and women in the program," said Gaddo, coordinator of the Memorial Day ceremony since its inception five years ago. "It's important that they know the sacrifices people have made in the name of their freedom, and that they be prepared to make the same sacrifices if their nation calls upon them to do so. These are dedicated young men and women who have worked hard on their drill and deserve to show it off." The JROTC unit has developed a very challenging drill routine using service rifles. The precision drill is done silently, with no verbal commands. They recently competed in the North Georgia College drill meet and placed first in basic drill and inspection and second in exhibition drill. "They have worked hard for months on this routine, and they're very excited about performing in Peachtree City on Memorial Day," said retired Marine Colonel David Ingram, commander of the JROTC program at East Coweta High School. The unit will also provide a color guard to lead the golf cart procession into City Hall plaza, perform the flag raising duties and act as side guards for presentation of the VFW memorial wreath. The guest speaker is retired Army Major General Gordon J. Duquemin, currently the vice chairman of the USO Council of Georgia. Duquemin commanded troops in the Korean Conflict from 1950-51, and again for 32 months during the Vietnam War. But his service continued even after retiring from the Army in 1981. The general is now the vice chairman of the USO Council of Georgia Inc., at a time in our nation's history when the USO is especially important. The USO here was very busy seeing troops off to Iraq, and now welcoming them back. "I am so proud of what our young men and women did in Iraq," he said. "They were magnificent, real professionals. And keep in mind this is an all-volunteer military force." He is quick to add that the USO couldn't have helped so many service members and their families without assistance. "The public has been extremely generous and helpful," he said. "We couldn't have done it without all the community involvement. They gave food, money and, probably most important, phone cards. That call home is extremely important." The Milwaukee, Wisconsin native knows first hand what troops in combat need. He has commanded a platoon, company, battalion and brigade in combat. During his 34-year Army career he also commanded the 1st Infantry Division, the crack infantry outfit known as "The Big Red One." He received his bachelor's in military science from the United States Military Academy, West Point, New York, in 1947. His career has also sent him to the Naval War College, and he earned his master's degree in international relations. He was deputy chief of staff for operations U.S. Army Forces Europe and for Forces Command headquarters at Fort McPherson here. He has lived in or visited more than 35 different countries. Among the many personal and unit medals and awards the general received throughout his career is the Distinguished Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster signifying a second award. He also earned three Silver Stars, four Legions of Merit and four bronze stars with the combat "V." He wears a Purple Heart, signifying an injury in combat, and has two awards of the Army's coveted Combat Infantryman's Badge. The general is no stranger to duty in the Middle East either. After he retired from the Army, he spent three years in Saudi Arabia training the Saudi Arabian National Guard, the forces that protect the royal family and provide internal security for Saudi Arabia. From 1984 to 2001 he was CEO of Lenbrook Square in north Atlanta. Lenbrook Square was the first nationally accredited continuing care retirement community in Georgia. It is known for providing first-class comfort and peace of mind through its service-oriented philosophy. But his involvement with the USO reaches far back into his past. "I have been actively involved in the USO since I entered the military, then as a user of the services," the general comments, adding that he was especially active with the Atlanta USO during two separate tours here, one at Fort McPherson and one at Fort Gillam. He became the vice chairman of Georgia's USO five years ago. For more information about Peachtree City's Memorial Day activities, contact the Peachtree City Recreation Department at 770-631-2542.
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