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 - Vernon & Alpheus "Stump" Davis
July 8 - Timothy Bonner, US Marine Corps
August 5 - Howell Jones, US Army
September 9 - Anthony (Tony) Attina, US Air Force
October 7 - Homer Aikin, US Army
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 404-668-3985.
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