Marshall American Legion Davis-Sexton Post 317 Commander Joe Schmidt stands with Madison County Manager Rod Honeycutt during the Veterans Day service. Wreath made and donated by Shadyside Florist. Photo by Sarah Scully
Family members find the memorial brick that belongs to their veteran placed at the Madison County Veterans Park during the ribbon-cutting and Veterans Day ceremony Nov. 11. Photo by Sarah Scully
Memorial veteran bricks are still available for purchase. The money raised helps fund further development of the Madison County Veterans Park. Go to https://marshillvfw.com for more details. Photo by Sarah Scully
Veterans, supporters & communities during America 250
Madison County Veterans Park Ribbon-Cutting and Veterans Day Ceremony held Nov, 11, 2026 in Marshall, NC. Madison High School student Whitney Hensley sang the National Anthem as the MHS Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps performed Color Guard and both the Mars Hill VFW Post 5483 and Marshall American Legion Davis-Sexton Post 317 performed the volley.
Post Commanders Chris Ledford and Joe Schmidt placed the memorial wreath, made and donated by Shadyside Florist, at the monument. Christaan Ramsey sang "America the Beautiful."
They, and County Manager Rod Honeycutt, County Commissioner Chair Michael Garrison, Mars Hill Mayor John L. Chandler and Marshall Mayor Aaron Haynie, spoke the event.
Hot Springs Mayor Abigail Norton was unable to attend, but had a message read to the crowd.
Editorial note & Disclosure:
I am a member of Post 317 and a member-at-large of the VFW.
Haynie's speech captured so much of what I, and many other, veterans had expressed throughout the years. I felt it intensely that day after learning recently that my former Soldier, Boris Shiloff, died earlier this year.
I have included his entire speech for those who would like to read it:
Hello and good morning, everyone.
First, I want to thank Madison County, the County Commissioner’s and County Manager Colonel Rod Honeycutt for bringing us together today.
I want to congratulate everyone involved in making this Veterans Park a reality.
There is something special about having a place like this in our community.
It’s a place where we can gather, a place where we can remember, recognize, and honor those who have given so much to our country.
Today, rather than giving you a history lesson about Veterans Day, I'd like to tell you a little story.
Imagine a little boy, or a girl being born in a small town somewhere in America.
He or she grows up playing in the yard, or riding their bicycle, going to school with the same kids, attending ballgames, and knowing just about everybody he or she passes.
He or she grows up surrounded by people who know their name, they grow up around people who care about them, and who help teach them right from wrong.
He or she learns about hard work, responsibility, faith, family, and community.
Then somewhere along the way, that little boy or girl grows up. And that same little boy or girl then makes a decision to put on a uniform and serve something bigger than themselves.
He or she leaves the comfort of their hometown, the comfort of their family, their friends, and everything familiar to them.
He or she may travel across the world.
They may experience things most of us will never understand.
He or she may face challenges, dangers, and sacrifices that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.
And then one day, he or she comes home. But they don’t come home exactly as the same person who left.
They come home as a veteran.
That veteran is much bigger than the uniform that he or she once wore.
They are a son, a daughter, a mother, a father, a neighbor, a teacher, a business owner, a volunteer, and a friend.
They may be the person coaching your child's ball team, the one helping a neighbor, serving at church, or quietly lending a hand to someone who needs it.
He or she may never tell you what they experienced or what they sacrificed.
They may never ask for recognition or expect a thank-you.
But that little town that helped raise him or her…has been changed because of them.
And I believe that's something we sometimes overlook in small communities like ours.
When we recognize a veteran, we're not just recognizing someone who served in the military.
We're recognizing someone who represents the very best of what a community can produce.
We're recognizing the values that were taught in our homes, our schools, our churches, and our neighborhoods.
We're recognizing the willingness to sacrifice for others and the understanding that sometimes we must put something bigger than ourselves first.
And that's why today is so special.
This park isn't just a place with a sign or a monument. It's a reminder that the freedoms we enjoy didn't happen by accident.
Those freedoms are connected to real people, real families, and real sacrifices.
As we gather here today, with people from all across Madison County, I hope we remember that every veteran has a story.
Every veteran has a family. Every veteran has a hometown, and every veteran deserves to know that their service mattered.
So, to our veterans, thank you!
Not just for what you did in uniform, but for what you continue to mean to the communities you call home.
And to everyone here today, let's make sure that the appreciation we show our veterans doesn't end when this ceremony is over.
Let's show it in how we treat them, how we listen to them,
and how we remember them.
Because a small town may not produce a lot of famous people, but it can produce some extraordinary heroes.
Thank you!
God bless our veterans, God bless Madison County, and God bless the United States of America.
