By Kay S. Pedrotti At the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of the year, many will gather to remember, salute and honor those veterans of the United States Armed Forces who served, were wounded and paid the ultimate price for American freedom. The ceremony will be held in front of the Veterans Memorial area at the Barnesville-Lamar County Library on Thomaston Street. William T. ‘Junior’ Hamrick, commander of Post 6542, Veterans of Foreign Wars, says this year’s program will feature a local 28-year veteran, Lt. Col. Glen H. Walters. Walters has served in the Georgia Army National Guard for 28 years and is assigned now to the G4 Maintenance Branch Chief, Joint Force Headquarters Georgia National Guard at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta. Other highlights of the program will include the reading of the names of Lamar County veterans who have died in the last 12 months; honoring Gold Star Mothers Maejean Mann (Eddie Mann, killed in Vietnam) and Patsy Rabuck (Danny Weaver, lost in Afghanistan); posting of the colors by the Barnesville police department; the National Anthem sung by Kelby Flournoy; Taps and 21-gun salute by the Lamar County sheriff’s office and bagpiper Leon Ross’ traditional rendering of ‘Amazing Grace.’ VFW Post 6542 and American Legion Post 25 alternate in organizing and presenting the annual ceremony, Hamrick said. Participants from the VFW will include Hamrick and Glen Vogel, post chaplain. Lunch will be served to all after the ceremony at the VFW, 361 Old Hwy. 41 North, by the auxiliaries of the VFW and American Legion. About the speaker: A graduate of Lamar County High School, Walters is the son of John and Monica Walters. He received a bachelors degree from North Georgia College in Dahlonega, where he received an ROTC commission as a second lieutenant in the Transportation Corps in 1991. He had begun his career as a driver of the Bradley Infantry fighting vehicle with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment, 48th Infantry Brigade, of the Georgia guard. He is a graduate of Command and General Staff College intermediate level education, Airborne School and Combined Arms Service Staff School, as well as earning a masters in business administration from Georgia College in Milledgeville. Walters was mobilized in 2009 to serve in Kabul, Afghanistan, providing logistics to the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal 5th Award, Army Achievement Medal and National Defense Medal with bronze star. He also has earned medals for Humanitarian Service, Global War on Terror, Afghanistan Campaign and the NATO Medal. He is married to the former Angie Johnson of Hiawassee and they have three children, Lauren, Ivey Jane and Will.
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