A dozen or so hardy souls quietly gathered in the drenching rain at the Great Falls Freedom Memorial at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month to pay tribute to America's veterans in an unofficial ceremony. Even though the Great Falls Freedom Memorial website announced, "Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the 2020 Veterans Day Ceremony will not be held," the printed words did not stop them.
Nancy Wilson of Great Falls shares a few remarks during the grassroots Veterans Day 2020 ceremony at the Great Falls Freedom Memorial
According to The Connection Newspapers, "So, it happened that one hundred and two years after hostilities on the Western Front of World War I ceased on Nov. 11, 1918, a small group, mostly adults from Great Falls and McLean, according to Wilson, returned to the memorial plaza despite the pandemic. The memorial's monument of local glacial rock and its granite curb, inscribed with words such as courage, patience, and love, principles held by those who give of themselves for liberty and freedom, had been installed three years after 9-11."
As per The Connection Newspapers, "It was a place of comfort and pride even though the citizens stood alone under umbrellas for a home-spun ceremony to commemorate Veterans Day 2020 and teach the young. There was no crowd of a hundred; no Langley High School Madrigals singing patriotic songs; no U.S. Marine Corps Color Guard Detachment presenting the color."
Maryam N. is a Senior Writer at Nesbitt Realty. She is an expert on Fairfax County. Maryam has also worked previously as a geologist. She is a foodie and enjoys cooking and exploring new restaurants.
