Post 70 honors local veterans

Published 6:19 pm Thursday, June 2, 2022

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American Legion Post 70 held its annual Memorial Day service this week.

Prior to the service, the American Legion Post 70 Auxiliary added the names of three veterans to the Wall of Honor at Bicentennial Park. The names added to the wall were Col. William L. Jackson, U.S. Army Air Corps, Pvt. Frazier Norton, U.S. Army, both from World War II, and Louie Glenn Davenport, U.S. Army, Vietnam.

The guest speaker for the ceremony was 12th Circuit Judge Henry “Sonny” Reagan. Reagan served as a pilot in the U.S. Army and talked about what Memorial Day meant to him.

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Reagan said, like many people, Memorial Day meant gathering with friends and family, maybe a trip to the beach and a three-day holiday. “All that changed for me on May 14, 2006,” he said.

Reagan said when he joined the Army, one of the first people he met was fellow Army aviator Matthew Wade “Bubba” Worrell.

Reagan said Worrell was an exceptional leader and pilot and worked his way through the ranks and was assigned to the Army’s 160th Special Operations Regiment, called the Nightstalkers. Reagan said the Nightstalkers were flying combat support in Iraq. Reagan said Worrell completed his mission, then returned to base and called his wife, Camille, and told her he would be home soon when his tour ended.

A few hours later, Worrell was woken up and volunteered to fly another mission to support troops engaged in heavy combat. His AH-6M Little Bird helicopter was hit by an RPG and Worrell was killed in the crash.

“He made a sacrifice so we could live in a free country,” Reagan said. “President Ronald Reagan said ‘If we love our country, we should love our countrymen.’ We owe it to those who gave their lives to love our countrymen.”

After Reagan’s speech, flags were planted in honor of Jackson, Norton and Davenport. Then, the Roll Call of Honor was read for the veterans on the Wall of Honor.