KYLE MURPHYStaff Writer

To commemorate the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, Tullahoma came together to celebrate Veterans Day Friday, Nov. 10, for the city’s annual event at South Jackson Performing Arts Center featuring speakers from the local veteran community, and the current commander of the Arnold Engineering Development Complex, Col. Randel Gordon.

Mayor Ray Knowis welcomed and addressed the crowd to begin of the ceremony, highlighting the Tullahoma City Schools fourth annual Tribute Train that took place prior to the event. Knowis added he was a grateful American for the freedoms he has, and the rest of the nation, has all in thanks to the veterans.

“Americans should never forget their sacrifices and should honor them,” he said. 

The ceremony opened with the Tullahoma High School Brass Ensemble performing the National Anthem, as scouts from local Boy Scout Troop No. 402 presented the colors. The invocation was led by Rev. Marty Nutter, who asked everyone to keep county commissioner Claude Morris and his family in their prayers. Morris, a veteran himself, has been involved with Wreaths Across America, Honor Flight and working with local veterans. Morris passed away on Mon, Nov. 13.

Mary Anne Scott, past regent of the Tullahoma chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, read “Thanks,” by Yusef Komunyakaa, a poem set during the Vietnam War and explores the themes of memory, conflict and the nature of good fortune. Howard Thompson delivered a speech on the history of the American forces, focusing on the first soldiers from the Revolutionary War. Lloyd Smith then performed “The Armed Forces Medley,” honoring members of each branch of the U.S. military, including the newest addition for the U.S. Space Force.

Rich Ellis, retired USCGR commander, then introduced Gordon, detailing his military history and honors in his introduction. Gordon has a career of over two decades of military experience prior to taking command of AEDC at the end of June last year.

Gordon thanked everyone for welcoming him back to speak for Veterans Day and shared a few thoughts he had on his mind leading up to Veterans Day. He shared a story of him recently being a part of a celebration of life for a member of the AEDC team who passed away. He talked about the flag folding ceremony that took place and said it was first to see how the Navy does it in comparison to the Air Force. Sitting close enough to the family, Gordon said once the flag was folded it was presented to the grieving with a Navy Corpsman telling them the Navy thanked them on behalf of the nation.

“It was beautiful,” Gordon said. “My wife next to me was in tears not from sadness but from gratitude on what it meant to serve.”

He said even though they served in different branches they served the same flag and ideals, and that the flag folding ceremony was a reminder to him that among all members of the military, together they all serve something larger than themselves. 

Gordon then shared during Veterans Day he tends to watch the 1955 movie “Strategic Air Command” starring Jimmy Stewart, a veteran himself. While he loves the movie, Gordon said the movie served as propaganda and served a message to Russia what could happen during the Cold War. Gordon stated the reason he mentioned the movie because of the recent conflicts that have transpired, mentioning the Chinese weather balloon earlier this year, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the recent Israel-Hamas war.

“I look at these hotspots that are happening in the world, and think this is a very, very dangerous time,” Gordon said. “When I look at that and go ‘what’s the defense of that?’ And it’s our servicemen and women, the families that support them and the civilians that work with them. All of them being able to do something that is designed to deter these types of conflicts from getting worse, and in the event that they do actually get worse to end them as quick as we possibly can. That’s the only humane way in which to end war.”

Gordon said Veterans Day is the time to celebrate who they are, what they have done to serve the nation and flag and taking moments to be together for events such as the ceremony, especially now given how dangerous the world has now become.

“This is why I love Tullahoma so much because we do these types of things,” he said. “We take moments out to be together, think about these things and celebrate those sort of things.”

He ended his speech by stating he was grateful be speaking at the ceremony, and addressed questions about the sense of the military becoming weak and becoming “woke.” He said given his experiences with talking to different leadership, like the Secretary of U.S. Air Force who visited the base last month, he tells himself and the men and women who serve at the base that they are not driving to work, they are arriving to a calling.

“Our nation needs you. There is only one Arnold,” Gordon said.

Following Gordon’s speech, Jon Gray, a veteran of the Tennessee Army National Guard, presented a list of Tullahoma veterans who had been lost since last year’s ceremony, and performed a rendition of “Gone with a Friend” by Ralph Stanley.

The band closed out the ceremony by performing “Taps,” as the scouts retired the colors. A luncheon was provided for the veterans in attendance.

The Veterans Day celebration continued to the weekend as the Tullahoma Parks and Recreation Department hosted its inaugural 5-Star Fall Festival Sat, Nov. 11, at Frank McEwen Park. The free event featured a craft fair, live music by Jacob Johnson, hayrides, food trucks and corn hole.

Photos courtesy of Zach Birdsong and Kyle Murphy.