Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremony
At 11 am on the first Monday of the month (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.
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.
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.
For more information about Wake Forest Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremonies, contact Communications & Public Affairs Director Bill Crabtree at 919-435-9421.
2019 Flag-Raising Ceremony Schedule
April 1 - George P. Timberlake, Jr.
May 6 - Henry Bryant Keith
June 3 - Wallace Denton and Everette Reid Denton
July 1 - Foster Davis
Aug. 5 - John Joseph Maloney
Sept. 2 - Willie Arrington
Oct. 7 - Henry Clay Willis
No flag-raising ceremonies are scheduled from November through March. The services resume in April and are conducted monthly through October.
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.