A large crowd turned out at Peachtree City’s Memorial Day ceremony Monday morning to honor citizens who have served in the military.

Guest speaker Carl Bennett, who fought in WWII, regaled the crowd with several humorous remarks about his military career. His eight-year stint in the Marines included battle at Guadalcanal, the allied forces’ first major offensive action of the Pacific War.

Bennett recalled how he was on desk duty days after Pearl Harbor when he told a senior officer he wanted to go to the front lines. It took daily visits over two and a half weeks, but Bennett finally got his wish.

Once, Bennett was hit with shrapnel in the forehead. Bloodied, he feared he was blind until he received care at the aid tent.

“They threw a bucket of water in my face,” Bennett recalled. “I thought I was blind, but when I could see I said, ‘I love you!’”

Later, when fighting in New Britain, he was struck by shrapnel again on the arm, causing enough damage that he thought he’d be sent home. But he was assigned for the next nine months to train recruits until he was discharged.

Back then, the Marine Corps was so small that the service was outnumbered by the New York City Police Department 19,000 to 16,000, Bennett recalled, noting that really put the “few” in the Marine slogan of “The few, the proud, the Marines.”

Among his fondest memories was serving as the honor guard for President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, which included staying with the President during his stay at Warm Springs, Ga., for two weeks. He recalled getting “pushed around” by the President during a water polo match there.

“That man was sick, but he sure was strong,” Bennett recalled. He is the father of Stuart Bennett of Peachtree City, the chief deputy superintendent of schools for Georgia.

In addition to Bennett’s message, there was a flyover of historic aircraft by the Dixie Wing of the Commemorative Air Force, a silent drill by the Junior ROTC Marine unit from East Coweta High School and the laying of the memorial wreath at the city’s veterans marker.

Music Alive! provided patriotic music and songs from the WWII era along with a stirring medley of the anthem for each branch of the armed forces.

The event was cosponsored by the Peachtree City Kiwanis Club, the Peachtree City Post 9949 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the city’s Leisure Services division. American Legion Post 50 also assisted.

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