Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremony
***This series has been suspended for 2020 due to COVID-19. For a complete listing of alerts, postponements and cancellations, visit our COVID-19 portal.***
At 11 am on the first Monday of the month (unless otherwise noted) from April through October, the Town of Wake Forest joins with several local veterans' organizations to honor the sacrifices of deceased Wake Forest veterans and their families. These services are provided at no cost and provided solely to pay tribute to the service and memory of deceased Wake Forest veterans, while also acknowledging the sacrifices of their families.
Each ceremony features patriotic songs, special remarks, a memorial wreath laying and the ceremonial flag-raising by the Wake Forest Fire Department Honor Guard. After raising the American flag, the WFFD Honor Guard raises the service flag representing the military branch in which the honoree served. Both flags fly in Centennial Plaza throughout the remainder of the month.
Photographs and other remembrances of each month's honoree are displayed in Centennial Plaza during the ceremony, then in the town hall lobby through the end of the month.
The public is invited to attend these services.
Wake Forest's first flag-raising ceremony occurred on Monday, Oct. 6., 2014, in tribute to Walter “Ervin” Cole, who served his nation in the U.S. Army in World War II. In later years - American Legion Post 187 was named in his honor.
Participating Organizations
Participating veterans' organizations include American Legion Post 187, American Legion Auxiliary Unit 187, American Legion Riders, VFW Post 8466, the Wake Forest Purple Heart Foundation, Marine Corps League Detachment 1257 and the Wake Forest High School Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps to host a Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremony in town hall's Centennial Plaza.
2020 Flag-Raising Ceremonies Canceled
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Town of Wake Forest has made the difficult decision to cancel this year’s Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremonies.
The decision to suspend this summer staple was based on the unpredictability of the coronavirus, a desire to safeguard the health and safety of the community, and an expectation that residents will not be allowed to gather safely in large groups for the foreseeable future.
Our flag-raising ceremonies are expected to resume in 2021.
Honor a Deceased Wake Forest Veteran
A committee comprised of representatives from American Legion Post 187, VFW Post 8466, the Wake Forest Purple Heart Foundation, Marine Corps League 1257 and the Town of Wake Forest continually solicits the names of deceased Wake Forest veterans who may be honored during future flag-raising ceremonies. To be eligible for consideration, the deceased veteran must meet one of the following criteria:
joined active duty in Wake Forest;
died in Wake Forest; or
was a member of a Wake Forest veterans’ organization.
These services are provided at no cost and provided solely to pay tribute to the service and memory of deceased Wake Forest veterans, while also acknowledging the sacrifices of their families.
For more information, contact Pete Lambert at 919-529-3018.
Honored Veterans
1st Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremony - Oct. 6, 2014 - Walter "Ervin Cole"
2nd Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremony - Nov. 3, 2014 - Benny Jackson
3rd Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremony - April 6, 2015 - Roger "Marvin" Hockaday
4th Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremony - May 4, 2015 - Anderson "Mitchell" Munn & Lee Roy Munn
5th Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremony - June 1, 2015 - Elvira "Ruth" Espinoza
6th Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremony - July 6, 2015 - John J. Queenen
7th Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremony - Aug. 3 - Winfred Wayne Welborn
8th Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremony - Sept. 14, 2015 - Gerald Arrington
9th Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremony - Oct. 5, 2015 - James R. Weiss
10th Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremony - April 4, 2016 - Richard Maxey
11th Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremony - May 2, 2016 - Donald Kroohs
12th Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremony - June 6, 2016- James Lyndell Warren
13th Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremony - July 11, 2016 - Dalton Bailey
14th Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremony - Aug. 1, 2016 - Neil B. Rosato
15th Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremony - Sept. 12, 2016 - Donald L. Griesedieck
16th Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremony - Oct. 3, 2016 - John E. Wooten, Jr.
17th Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremony - April 3, 2017 - James E. Steffens
18th Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremony - May 1, 2017 - Thomas Walters
19th Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremony - June 5, 2017 - Graham Pope, Sr.
20th Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremony - July 3, 2017 - John Wayne Godfrey
21st Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremony - Aug. 7, 2017 - Robert King Raymond
22nd Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremony - Sept. 18, 2017 - Willis Winston
23rd Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremony - October 2, 2017 - Jerry Meiselman
24th Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremony - April 2, 2018 - Walter Crawford
25th Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremony - May 7, 2018 - Roger Gross
26th Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremony - June 4, 2018 - George Waller
27th Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremony - July 2, 2018 - Wilbert Chester Stallings
28th Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremony - Aug. 6, 2018 - Henry Black
29th Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremony - Sept. 10, 2018 - Rufus Forrest
30th Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremony - Oct. 1, 2018 - Horace L. Macon
31st Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremony - April 1, 2019 - George P. Timberlake, Jr.
32nd Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremony - May 6, 2019 - Henry Bryant Keith
33rd Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremony - June 3,2019 - Wallace Denton and Everette Reid Denton
34th Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremony - July 1,2019 - Foster Davis
35th Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremony - Aug. 5, 2019 - John Joseph Maloney
36th Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremony - Sept. 9, 2019 - Willie Arrington
37th Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremony - Oct. 7, 2019 - Henry Clay Willis