Prince Frederick and Chesapeake Beach, MD – During her remarks at the Veterans Day Service in Prince Frederick, Second Vice Commander for the American Legion Department of Maryland Patricia A. McCoy did something that was a departure from the traditional ceremonial oratory. McCoy asked other veterans to come forward and stand with her in front of the Calvert County Courthouse. Instead of being faces in the crowd, the armed forces veterans received recognition in front and at the center of the traditional ceremony.

“It’s a glorious day because we are free,” McCoy exclaimed. Of the Veterans Green ceremony, McCoy added, “every year it gets a little bit bigger and a little bit better.”
The ceremony began at 10:30 a.m. so that the preliminary program items lead up to the wreath placements, which then occur at 11 a.m.—the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month—an acknowledgement of Veterans Day’s previous moniker, Armistice Day. That day marked the end of World War I and became Veterans Day during the 1950s.

Youth from all four of Calvert County Public Schools’ Naval Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps programs and the Calvert Unit of the Civil Air Patrol participated in the wreath placement ceremony at the four monuments on Veterans Green. The American Legion Post 206, 220 and 274 Rifle Squad provided a gun salute followed by “Taps.”

In addition to her comments, which included recollections of her enlistment in the Navy following high school, McCoy played for the audience a recording of Michael Peterson’s tribute to war veterans, ‘You Could Have Heard a Pin Drop.”
Patriotic songs, including The Star Spangled Banner, were performed by the Chesapeake Community Chorus.

A second Veterans Day ceremony was held during the early afternoon in foggy Chesapeake Beach. The brief service at Veterans Memorial Park included wreath placements at nine memorials, honoring the Armed Forces branches, police and fire departments, and for the first Veterans Day ever, the park’s new Vietnam Memorial.

Stallings-Williams American Legion Post 206 Past Commander Charlie Choux called the ceremony “one small spark” in the day set aside to honor the men and women who “rose to our nation’s call.”

The Chesapeake Community Chorus also sang at the Chesapeake Beach event and ceremonial support was provided by the Calvert County Young Marines.

Contact Marty Madden at marty.madden@thebaynet.com