The Centralia American Legion hosted its annual Veteran’s Day service and lunch on Monday, sponsored by the Sutherland family. Central City police chief Jamie Ramsey was this year’s keynote speaker. Ramsey, who served in the Army during the Gulf War, said he was inspired to service by his father, James L. Ramsey, also a veteran. Police chief Ramsey said military service changed him for the better and is something for every veteran to be proud of.
“I think the proudest moment my father had was when I graduated basic training and AIT at Fort Benning, Georgia, because I had accomplished something,” Ramsey said. “Anybody can play football, that all goes away… That feat that I had done there put me in his class to a degree, because now I had taken that step to give something of myself to my nation.”
Central City police chief Jamie Ramsey speaks to his fellow veterans.
Both Ramsey and his father were among the 16 veterans inducted into the Court of Honor during the service. The full list of veterans honored:
Larry D. Mathus
James A. Skibinski
James “Pat” Freeman
Gary L. Laffoon
Bill Bryant
James L. Ramsey
Jamie Ramsey
Norman D. Faulkner
Tammy Cole
Donald Berdeaux
Lonnie McDaneld
Roberta Bland
Charles “Chuck” Fogliasso
Carl Mashburn
Joseph A. Duffy
Zachary Austin
Dr. Dee Boswell
Bud Davis
Cody Rose
Mike Sutherland gave the welcome at the start of the ceremony and called attention to Stockings for Soldiers, a program that sends filled Christmas stockings as gifts to soldiers serving overseas. Sutherland said the program has been greatly appreciated by the soldiers who have received stockings in past years. Those interested in contributing can either donate money for shipping or small goods to fill the stockings (no liquids or aerosols) by bringing items to Sutherland-Garnier funeral home by November 29.
