By By Lisa Tindell
News Editor
For Karen Powell, honoring veterans on Memorial Day was also a personal mission.
Powell is the daughter of Gene Davis, a much-decorated veteran of World War II, Korea and Vietnam.
During Monday’s service on the courthouse lawn, intermittent showers punctuated the reading of the names of Escambia County soldiers who lost their lives in wars.
The ceremony was hosted and planned by members of the American Legion and the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs. More than 100 members of the community were on hand to pay tribute to those who gave their lives in military battle.
Mike Hanks, director of the Escambia County office of the Department of Veterans Affairs, spoke on the significance of the ceremonies.
Hanks also said the soldiers who continue to fight will be those who continue to provide American citizens safety and freedom.
Following a selection of patriotic songs and prayer by the Rev. George Weaver, a wreath was laid at the Veteran’s Memorial by Robin Griggers and Richard Gilliland, both military veterans.
Names of soldiers who lost their lives in battle during World War I, World War II, the Korean Conflict and the Global War on Terrorism were read and honored by Charles Jackson. As names were read, family members joined officials around the Veteran’s Memorial monument and joined in prayer to end the ceremony.