 Right now, this is the City of Columbia's Veterans Day Recognition Ceremony, in lieu of the annual parade that they normally do each and every year. Due to the pandemic, we're hosting it here and also virtually as well. So we welcome those who are watching from their homes or wherever the place they may be. Thank you so much for tuning in and joining us for the City of Columbia Veterans Day Recognition Ceremony. Right now, I'd like to ask that each and every one of us please stand for the presentation of the colors from the City of Columbia Honor Guard and please remain standing for the playing of the National Anthem by the Army, 282nd Band. Present, Detail, Order, Homes. Ladies and gentlemen, please be seated. We want to welcome out our veterans, those of course who are present, who are serving, pass, who have served, and of course to those that we remember, those who gave their lives defending our country and our freedoms today. We say thank you. We want to welcome out special guests, our elected officials, members of the clergy, family and friends who are in attendance, as well as our vote counters. They're working real hard right now. Right now, I've got to let you know that I served my country. By the way, I'm Curtis Wilson, ABC Columbia Channel 25, as well as Big D.M. and also work with Richland County and other entities. City of Columbia, can't leave them out, my boss is here. Served in the military, 82 to 85. Second Chemical Battalion, 181st Chemical Company, 13th Subcom. Love doing what I did as a 54 Echo Nuclear Biological Chemical Specialist. Then I became a DJ. Ladies and gentlemen, it is now time for our invocation. For that, I bring forth our councilman, Ed McDowell. Let us pray. Lord, we thank you for all who have served this country. For those who have fought for freedom. For those who laid down their lives for others. For those who have born suffering of mind and of body. For those who have brought their best gifts in the times of need. On our behalf, we celebrate their lives today. For in the midst of danger, you brought integrity and peace. You endured separation from those that they loved. You labored long hours and brought a real sense of tranquility to this nation of ours. Oh Lord, lift up with your mighty presence. Those who have gone into war and for those who are here with us today and for those mighty and gallant soldiers who lost their lives. We remember their families today. Give to us your people grateful hearts and unite us with a sense of purpose. Allowing men and women who laid down their lives and who stand in integrity this morning since in a real true level of peace and understanding. Lord, we ask it. We claim it in your name and every heart said. Amen. And next I bring forth a man who needs no introduction. You've seen him here locally doing great things for the city of Columbia nationally as well and of course true Columbia native doing what he does best. And that's being the mayor of the city of Columbia. Please welcome the honorable Stephen K. Benjamin. And someday I'm going to have as many jobs as Curtis has. Let's see how that works out. Good morning everyone. I want to give my most sincere thanks. It's amazing obviously while the pandemic would not allow us to have the parade that the men and women who serve this country so deserve in the weather would not let us have an outdoor celebration that we deserve. We I think it shows the true resilience and commitment of the men and women of the city that we're going to today, wherever we're going to do it, we're going to celebrate those who have defended the flag and the sovereign nation that we all love and see as the greatest and best hope of freedom across the world. It's my honor to be here on behalf of my friend, the good Reverend and Councilman Ed McDowell, our friend Councilman Howard Duvall, the veteran himself, Councilman Sam Davis, Councilman Will Brennan and all the rest of City Council. I want to thank our friends from Senator Graham's office, from Congressman Wilson's office. Larry, thank you so much. I'm always representing the majority of the club and friends from the chamber. And Colonel Swayta, a friend of Columbia in so many different capacities. Thank you for being here. To the incredible men and women that we celebrate here, it's an honor to be here with each and every one of you. I want to give our most sincere thanks to our incredible staff who have proven themselves to be quite flexible in making sure that this would happen. So thank you to the whole team. Kim Carey, the whole team. This is an opportunity to do what we do best, which is I think express the two most powerful words in the English language. And those are simply thank you. Thank you to each and every one of our veterans. We know that the tradition that we now honor as Veterans Day came about as a recognition of peace first observing the truth ending World War I on November 11th, 1918. The first Armistice Day was held one year later in 1954, President Eisenhower officially named November 11th as Veterans Day, a holiday to honor all who have served our country through military duty, whether in times of war or peace. We dedicate this day to remembering, to thanking and honoring all who have gone before in service to our country and all who currently defend our sacred freedoms and preserve our American way of life and liberty. Throughout America's history, our armed forces and veterans have proven our country's endurance, resilience, and the ability to meet all challenges and overcome all adversely. As mayor of this incredible city, it's humbling to be here. I always love to recognize the unique bond that we have with our nation's armed forces through the close relationship we've held with Fort Jackson for over a century to my friend, Brigadier General Milford Beagle Jr. Fort Jackson's 51st Commander to all the dedicated officers and the listed men and women who serve at the nation's largest basic training facility. I would thank you for your service to our country and thank you for being a valuable member of our Columbia community. No one knows the level of service and determination of our past and current listed men and women more than those who serve themselves and lead in our armed forces. So it's my esteemed privilege to take this moment to... First, I'm humbled to be here. We've been... so many of us have been indoors for the last several months. I asked my colleagues, I don't think there's been a formal event where we've seen the presentation of the colors, where we've seen the presentation of the colors with our new city flag also included in the equation. And while we often think of governments and political subdivisions as different entities, this flag that speaks to the strength and inclusion and the importance of this capital city, seeing us all come together, recognizes that this flag and this flag would not be possible without this flag. And we are indeed a stronger, more resilient and blessed nation because of each and every one of you men and women who decide to sacrifice and your families who decide to sacrifice and give something to the greatest nation in the history of the world. So it's my honor to invite my friend, Brigadier General Beagle, to the podium to share his perspectives on what this day means. General Beagle. Thank you, Mayor. Well, good morning to everyone that's physically present today and to all of those that are joining us virtually from across our city and across our great state. And I would like to make a special acknowledgement to Secretary Grimsley, Joe McCarty, Arnold Kevin Suedo, all of our elected officials that are here and as well as our veterans, definitely appreciate you. Thank you for your sacrifices. A lot of people say thank you for your service, but they forget the other half of that statement, which is thank you for your sacrifices. And I'll talk a little bit about that. I'd like to thank Mayor Benjamin, you in the city of Columbia for pressing forward and finding a way to recognize our veterans despite COVID-19. As I told the mayor before I got up here, COVID-19 has changed how we do things, but COVID-19 won't change what we do. And this is a demonstration of what we do despite COVID-19. So, Mayor, thank you so much for doing this despite COVID-19. Now, I'm always told that I can speak as long as I want to when I get behind the microphone and the podium, but this morning I was told I had five minutes to speak as long as I wanted to speak. So I will use my five minutes wisely. And as the mayor said, everybody loves a parade, so the same goes. So it's sad that we won't celebrate this Veterans Day the same way we have in the past, but our purpose, regardless of venue, regardless of type of an event, remains the same. To recognize those that have served, those that are currently serving, and those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the defense of our nation and our freedoms. For over a century, as you've heard, on 11 November, we pause and recognize our veterans, the brave men and women who served our great country and continue to serve this great nation with honor and with distinction. And furthermore, it is equally as important to keep the fallen, the missing, and those currently serving in harm's way in our thoughts and prayers during this Veterans Day commemoration. If we have any Gold Star mothers, if we have any Blue Star families, thank them for their service and their sacrifice as well. I also want to thank all of our military spouses and children who often have to endure career interruptions, separations, missed birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, and so on. The list is very long. Their sacrifices are equally as important and all too often are not appropriately recognized. We must remember that honoring those who have served isn't just about what we say or do today. It's about how we support our veterans every day of the year. It's about remembering and remaining committed to them and their families in every possible way. Do you stop to think of veteran on any given day? Or do you simply lower your head, walk or turn the other way? And you have to know or understand. Many veterans return to war every night in their dreams. Many have faded away, but it is up to us not to let them fade out. So the next time you see a veteran, don't turn and walk away. Thank them for the freedoms that we enjoy today directly. This is very hard to see. But to that veteran, given all they have, he or she, has seen or sacrificed a leg, an arm, an eye, their dreams, they know exactly the price that has to be paid to be free. Commitment to our veterans and their families is a sacred trust between America and all who defend this ideals. Over time, every military enlistment or commission comes to an end. However, a veteran's service has no expiration date. And once you earn the title of soldier, sailor, airman, marine, coast guardsman, or even a merchant marine, you've earned that title for life, all around our country. Veterans become teachers, doctors, community leaders, first responders, and elected officials. They continue serving our communities by making positive contributions and inspiring future generations of Americans. President Harry S. Truman once said, our debt to the heroic men and valiant women in the service of our country can never be repaid. They have earned our undying gratitude. America will never forget their sacrifices. We must ensure that the service and sacrifice of our veterans is never overlooked or forgotten. Thank you to our great partners here in Columbia, to our local community, for taking some of your valuable time to recognize our veterans and their families. God bless all of our veterans, God bless all of you, God bless our great state of South Carolina, and God bless our country. Thank you so much. Out next for remarks, please welcome Major General Roy Van McCarty, South Carolina National Guard. Good morning. On behalf of all the soldiers, airmen, and employees of the South Carolina Military Department, I welcome you here today to Columbia Veterans Day celebration. For those who are here in attendance, thank you for taking time out of your day to brave a little bit of the elements to come out here today and honor our veterans. For those who are with us virtually, thank you also for taking time to be a part of this celebration. Veterans Day, certainly an important day in the history of this great nation. General Wiggle gave a quick overview of the history of it, as did the mayor. But that history is impacted and is evident by our veterans that are here today, those who have served before and those who are currently serving now. We thank them for their service. We thank them for their sacrifice. We thank them for ensuring that the freedoms that we as Americans that we have and exercise and enjoy and I hope appreciate each and every day are made possible by their service and their sacrifice. When we look at a veteran regardless of branch of service they have served in, we have to look beyond just the soldier, the sailor, airman or marine, and marine happy belated birthday to the United States Marine Corps. We have to look though to the families that support them. To those mothers, those fathers, to those spouses, to those children. Whether it's service during peace time or in war there is tremendous sacrifice to be paid by all. The last decade and a half though has seen the longest period of time this nation has been at war. And we have seen those families be called upon time and time again to make that sacrifice in support of their loved ones who leave to go and do this nation's business. I look at those individuals as heroes in my eyes. They have taken on the tough task of keeping the home fires burning. So in addition to our service men and women I want to reach out and certainly including that team all of those family members. Special thanks to our blue star and gold star mothers who have children who have served and children who have paid the ultimate sacrifice. The gold star mothers that I know tell me this that if their son or daughter could turn back the hands of time to the moments up to their sacrifice to this great nation they wouldn't change a thing. They loved service to this country. They loved serving with their fellow soldier, sailor, airman or marine. They would not exchange their life for another. They were proud of who they are and who the legacy that they leave for us. And the other thing that those gold star mothers would say this is we cannot forget them. We must continue to tell the story. So a special thanks today. I know that the pandemic has caused us to vary our lifestyles in many ways. And evident by today we have to adjust but also evident by today in our schools the challenges that we have there. But I want to thank all of our educators. I want to thank all of our public health officials. Many of those wore the colors of this nation also. But they're on the front line of the fight today again helping us get through challenging times of this great nation. But a special thanks to South Carolina Department of Education, Secretary of Education, Miss Molly Mitchell Spearman and educators around the state that each and every year calls to recognize the young men and women who are going to join our services, who are going to attend one of our military academies and put a cord of honor around their neck and a celebration to thank them for being willing to pay that price going forward for the next generation of Americans. Certainly the success of this nation and the future of our nation is rooted in our veterans but our future is with our young people. And I would like to know that they have an understanding of what it takes to allow us to have that freedom and I am confident that this generation of young Americans will take up that mantle, will go forth and honor those who are currently serving who have served so that this nation can continue to be a beacon of light to the rest of the world and one that others can look at and say it must be great to be an American. Thank you for all those who have made this event possible here today. I want to say thank you to the City of Columbia for making this effort and to all of our veterans, all their families. May God bless you. May God bless the state of South Carolina and these great United States of America. Thank you. Thank you, Major General, appreciate that. Right now, Secretary, South Carolina Department of Veteran Affairs wants to welcome Major General William Grinsley, retired. Well, good morning, Mayor Benjamin, city leaders, fellow service members, and most importantly, our veterans of South Carolina. Thank you very much for this opportunity. You've heard my friends and fellow general officers here talk, so I won't go over as much of that other than continue to thank the veterans, those past, those currently serving who are going to be our future veterans and your families for everything you do every day. All those who have worn the uniforms of the United States in the past, those who are wearing them today and those who will come in the future represent a relatively small part of our population. We may be small in number, but we're mighty in power. And so for those of us who have done that thing while raising our right hand and choosing to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, I have a very simple message like everybody else. Thank you. Thank you for who you are. Thank you for the commitment you made. Thank you for the service and sacrifice you performed on behalf of us all. And we should remind ourselves that our ability to come here in the midst of a pandemic in somewhat inclement weather, but that's going to make the grass grow greener for a little bit longer in the fall. But more importantly, we're able to do this here in Columbia. We're able to do this across the United States and in many of our friends and partners across the world who celebrate their version of Veterans Day, Remembrance Day. We're only able to do this because as we sit here this morning in Columbia, there are literally thousands of Americans forward deployed on land, on and under the seas of the world and in the air above us and even in space looking out for us right now, making sure we are allowed to enjoy the freedoms of the United States, making sure we are allowed to celebrate those freedoms every day of the year throughout our lives. And so, you know, I am extraordinarily proud to have had the opportunity to serve in formations around the world doing that. And now I have an equally high privilege to be able to serve as the first Secretary of Veterans Affairs for the great state of South Carolina. And because of that, I will take a little bit of opportunity to extend my thanks Mayor and the city leaders of Columbia for putting this on. But that's on behalf of the over 405,000 veterans that are across the great state of South Carolina. We represent almost 10% of the population of this great state. And so, everything that we do in this state, everything we do in this nation to support veterans, we've earned that. We're entitled to it and we think we ought to get it. And so, that's our job in this department with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, our great state, county, local community, civic, nonprofit leaders around the state to make sure we do that. And so, you have my pledge that we'll continue to do that but I'd ask you to think about the narrative, changing the narrative a little bit and especially for those people out in the virtual land always go up and think of veterans as Beak said. You know, that's extraordinarily important. Yeah, we've done a lot. Yes, we have sacrificed. And many of us deserve extraordinarily more services than others. And so, we need to make sure and ensure that we do that every day. But I'd ask you to think about changing the narrative a little bit and don't just think about what it is we need to do for our veterans. Think about what your veterans can do for you. You know, we're pretty good people. We're fit, motivated, proficient, we're well educated, we're well trained. We know how to do a lot of things. We know how to come together and form teams. We know how to be in charge. If you're looking for a frontline leader who knows how to do something, go find a sergeant or a petty officer. They know how to do things. And so, when you're looking business people, when you're looking elected officials, when you're looking community leaders and nonprofits, when you're looking for somebody to hire to bring on to your organization to make this nation, this city, this state ever stronger, go find a veteran because they're the ones who know how to show up in the morning. They're the ones who know how to take charge. They know how to solve problems. So let's get after the South Carolina. Let's continue to bring our veterans back home when they go to serve. For those who are currently serving here at our eight active duty installations in our great national garden across the reserve components. When it's time for them to take off the uniform, don't just let them take off the uniform, put on a new uniform and stay to work in South Carolina. We have a real opportunity here to grow this state ever bigger, ever better as the most military, veteran-friendly state union, all of us in South Carolina today. I want to say thank you as well. Thank you for your service, fellow veterans. Thank you for your service and sacrifice. And our future veterans, there's no better recruiter in the world for the nation, for the United States and the uniforms of the United States than those who have served and are currently serving. So thank you. Happy Veterans Day, everybody. Happy Birthday Marines. And look forward to much, much more. God bless America. Thank you. On behalf of everyone here in the city of Columbia, I want to express our deepest appreciation to General Beagle, General McCarty, and General Grimsley for drawing on their years of service to share their insights with us this morning. It's amazing. No matter how old you get, you can always learn something more every single day. And I believe you have your observations. I found them profound. I found myself taking notes as if I was back in school again. So thank you so much for speaking with us this morning. Before we finish our ceremony this morning, I'd dislike, again, to observe that our United States veterans have earned, as General McCarty just said, earned the respect, admiration, and appreciation of not just those of us on our shores, but of nations around the world. We've been celebrating them for over a century now in this format. But our men and women in service to this country have a proud history of rising to the challenge again and again to end tyranny around the world and bring peace globally. And we're so thankful for that. So today, I urge all Colombians, everyone, within the sound of my voice, taking advantage of all the incredible technology we have available to us to spend some time thinking about ways in which we can uniquely serve and thank all the men and women who have served this country and continue to do so in honoring the spirit of the city of this great state and of this great country. Thank you all for not thinking at robbery to spend some time with us this morning to celebrate these amazing men and women. God bless you, God bless the state of Columbia, God bless the state of South Carolina, and God bless this incredible United States of America. Thank you. Thank you to all of these great leaders right here. Please give them a rising round of applause as well. Thank you. He was right. He said we're fit even after the military. Also too, I want to say thank you to Beegs as well. Can I call you Beegs? Because we're friends now. I feel like we're tight, you know, we're close. He invited me to come work out and do fitness with the troops, and I did it. It was a lot of fun and we're going to run with him as well. And then being back on post like that took me back to seven and eight mile road march days with the rucksack, you know. The endless PT tests, the goals and the no-goes, you remember that? Of course, learning how to low crawl in the mud. Nobody's with me on that one. Eating sea rations, you know, or getting the bivouacs or the pup tents. Do they still do the little pup tents where each person had a half, a shelter half? Well, okay, I was a way back then. Also too, digging the trenches with the tiny little shovels or, of course, doing the muster, standing at attention for hours on end. Okay, I missed those days. It was fun. Shaped me to be the person I am today. Doing all the stuff that I do. Military. All right, there we go. Ladies and gentlemen, right now, I got to ask this, any council members who would like to come forth and say a few remarks? Any council members? All right. All right. Then if all hearts and minds are clear, this is what we will do. We will ask all ladies and gentlemen right now in presence, if you can, to please stand for the playing of the service medley. And then please remain standing for the retiring of the colors.