The annual Memorial Day ceremony will be held on Monday, May 30th at 11 a.m. at Veterans Square in Dillon.
The guest speaker is FC2 (SW) Kathy Beauvais Jackson, a fire controlman second class. She was pre-commissioned at the USS Iwo Jima (LHD7), where she was attached for two years. Her last command was SIMA (Shore Intermediate Maintenance Attachment) in Norfolk, VA , where they did maintenance on a 6-barrel Gatlin gun, CIWS, which shot 20 mm rounds. She retired in October 2004. She is currently a junior at Francis Marion University working towards a bachelor’s degree in biology. She is using the GI Bill to attend school. She and her husband Keith, have three children, Tyler, Emily, and Joshua.
The program for the ceremony is as follows:
Welcome/Opening Remarks-Mayor Todd Davis
Invocation-Father Fred Gough, St. Barnabas Episcopal Church
National Anthem-Rev. Mike Rouse, Main Street Methodist Church
Raising the U.S. Flag-MSG (Ret.) Terry Morris, Seaman Tony Peele
Raising the S.C. Flag-CSM (Ret.) George M. Pullie, VFW Rep. Kelly Herring
Pledge of Allegiance- SSG (SCARNG) Valerie Graves
Introduction/Guest Speaker-Mayor Todd Davis
Guest Speaker-Kathy Jackson (Retired U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class)
“Missing Man Ceremony”-CW4 (Ret.) Thacker, Dillon High School JR-ROTC Director
Laying of Memorial Wreath-Col. (Ret. US Army) Joseph E. Griffin, Jr., U.S. Navy Seaman Tony Peele
Taps: Rev. Mike Rouse Benediction: Father Fred Gough