Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremonies

 
Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremonies  |  First Monday of the Month  |  April - October | 11 am
Centennial Plaza, 301 S. Brooks St.

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, and Marine Corps League Detachment 1257.

2024 Flag-Raising Schedule & Honorees 

The following is tentative and subject to change:

  • April 1 - David Cooke, US Marine Corps

  • May 6 - Gary Turner, US Navy

  • June 3 - TBD

  • July 8 - Timothy Bonner, US Marine Corps

  • August 5 - Howell Jones, US Army

  • September 9 - Tony Attima, US Army

  • October 7 - Donald Page, US Air Force

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:

  1. joined active duty in Wake Forest;

  2. died in Wake Forest; or

  3. 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.

Watch One of Our Ceremonies


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

38th Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremony - April 4, 2022 - William Gill, US Army

39th Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremony - May 2, 2022 - Thomas Wright, US Army

40th Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremony - June 6, 2022 - William and Albert Wadford, US Army

41st Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremony  July 11, 2022 – Allen B. Johnson, US Navy 

42nd Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremony - August 1, 2022 - Vincent Hunter, US Army

43rd Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremony - September 12, 2022 – James Bruce Keith, Sr., US Marine Corps

44th Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremony - October 3, 2022 - George M. Cattelona, US Marine Corps

45th Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremony - April 3, 2023 - Al Hinton, US Navy

46th Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremony - May 1, 2023 - Delmas Hudson, US Army

47th Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremony - June 5, 2023 - Joseph DeLois, US Army

48th Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremony - July 10, 2023 - Thomas & Mary Perrone, US Marine Corps

49th Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremony - August 7, 2023 - George W. Nichols-Pulley & George W. Nichols, Jr., US Army

50th Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremony - September 11, 2023 - James Busam, US Navy

51st Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremony - October 2, 2023 - Albert Taylor Moore, US Marine Corps