More than 100 people attended a barbecue at the local assisted living facility before the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 1048 Honor Guard presented the flag, performed the rifle salute and played taps.
The ceremony also featured the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance and the singing of the national anthem. Resident and former Navy nurse Dee Hardeman wrote and shared a letter titled “I am your Flag,” Paradise Pointe CEO Darlinda Copeland said in a statement to the Observer.
“One of the most heartwarming occurrences was when the residents went off program and started singing ‘God Bless America’ while the flag was being raised,” Copeland said. “It was one single lady who started it, and by the end all 100 guests in attendance were singing in unison. There wasn’t a dry eye in the place.”
