Barnesville Remembers Saturday

For the second time this year, Barnesville-Lamar County will honor those who served in World War II.Barnesville Remembers – A Tribute to our WWII Veterans gets underway Saturday morning at the Fine Arts Center on the Lamar County Schools campus. This event is open to the public and citizens are encouraged to come out and pay tribute to the vets.Some 67 vets have registered and are expected to attend with their families.Radio personality James Carney, known as Moby in the Morning, will serve as emcee.Entertainers Banks & Shane will provide entertainment.The event is sponsored by the Barnesville Rotary Club and Barnesville-Lamar County Chamber of Commerce and is being organized by Rotarians Mark Stone and Kent Kingsley.Doors at the FAC will open at 10 a.m. Vintage military vehicles will be displayed outside. Inside, period videos will be shown until 10:30 a.m. when Banks & Shane take the stage for a patriotic warm-up.At 10:55, the veterans will process into the auditorium.Robert Boyd of the Atlanta Pipe Band will then introduce the colors which will be presented by the honor guard from Robins AFB.The choir from First Baptist Church in Barnesville will perform the National Anthem. The Pledge of Allegiance will be led by VFW Post commander Junior Hamrick and American Legion Post commanders William Parker and Hal Langham.The invocation will be delivered by Rotarian and WWII vet Hayward Cox.Welcoming remarks will be delivered and resolutions read by Barnesville mayor Peter Banks and Lamar County commission vicechairman Bennie Horton Jr. Congressman Lynn Westmoreland will deliver remarks and Stone and Banks will preside over a special dedication. WWII vet Margaret Riviere will conduct a wreath-laying service assisted by Capt.Russ Walters and Staff Sergeant Chris Bennett of the 148th Brigade of the National Guard. Both recently returned from a year-long tour of duty in Afghanistan.Following a tribute to prisoners of war and those missing in action, Georgia VFW commander and Rotarian Al Lipphardt will make a presentation on the flag.The FBC choir will perform a medley of Armed Forces hymns after which Rep. Westmoreland will conduct a roll call of all vets in attendance.Stone will then introduce the keynote speaker, Captain Tommy Clack.Clack is a retired Army veteran who was severely wounded in Vietnam.Boyd and his fellow pipers will perform Amazing Grace and WWII vet Rev. Marion Underwood will give the benediction.Truman Boyle will play Taps to close the formal service.At 12:45, Banks & Shane will perform a community concert.In addition, there is a fly over by military aircraft on the schedule and a food court will be open.’We have had a lot of people step up and contribute to this thing,’ Stone said.Among those contributors is Southern Rivers Energy which donated a huge flag to hang in the FAC during the ceremony.