A proud American has made headlines for a moving tribute to U.S. veterans. The man spent one morning paying his individual respects to over 3,200 military heroes buried at the Vermont Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Randolph, Vermont.
“It’s special down here,” Williams said. “It’s a beautiful, beautiful place.”
During his most recent trip to the cemetery on Sept. 23, Williams felt especially moved to pay his respects to the thousands of men and women buried under Vermont soil for their sacrifice to the country. Believing it was the least he could do to visit every tombstone, Williams explained that his broader aim is to affirm that no veteran lost their life in vain.
“I wanted to touch every stone here today, and say their names, and pay respect to these men and women that have served our country,” he said.
Williams further explained that his endeavor to read the names, deployments, and decorations accrued by some of Vermont’s military heroes was all in the name of respect. “[N]ot only the ones that served in the battles,” he clarified, “but anybody who served their country. They’re heroes.”
The cemetery isn’t only for veterans, officials assert; veterans’ spouses and some dependents are also eligible to be buried on the same ground as their loved ones.
On the very same day as Williams’s cemetery visit, a 98-year-old World War II veteran was honored by his son with a soaring tribute.
Dave Kahley himself, plus three additional pilots, flew North American T-6 Texan planes over Art’s neighborhood to pay their respects to the near-centenarian. The veteran, and a small crowd of neighbors, gathered to watch the planes fly by.
“You’re not going to put all these older guys together in the COVID environment, so everyone stayed home,” the veteran’s son explained. “I figure, the weather looks good, so let’s go give him his own personal flyover.”
