CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Communities all across the Mountain State will come together Wednesday to recognize those who have served the country.
There are Veterans Day ceremonies throughout West Virginia, including in Kanawha County at sunrise. The city of Nitro will host an event at the Nitro Veterans Memorial at 7:30 a.m., its second ceremony in a 24-hour span. Flags at the memorial were lowered at sunset Tuesday night.
Former state Adjutant General Allen Tackett gave the keynote address at the flag-lowering ceremony. He said that Veterans Day is a special time to reflect.
“It’s important because of the sacrifices that they and their families have made for everyone’s freedom,” Tackett said. “You just can’t toss them to the side and say, ‘Thank you for your service,’ and say, ‘it’s all over with.’ A lot of them have sacrificed a great deal for our freedom. We owe them that, in turn, recognition for their service.”
Serah Rugel, a member of the Nitro High School Marching Band, concluded the ceremony with a rendition of “Taps.”
Tackett believes that the current generation has a great respect for the military. He credited that to teachers, historians, and the media, who have highlighted the people who have made sacrifices in wars that determines whether or not America stayed free.
“I think, really, that the word gets to people, and I think even the new generations appreciate and know and understand that,” Tackett said. “Most schools have this junior ROTC, and they teach the kids the importance of the military, what the military’s done, how it has protected our freedom.”
Tackett said he’s always proud to pay tribute to military members, past and present.
“I just can’t say enough good things about people who are willing to make these kind of sacrifices,” Tackett said. “Whenever you, in turn, put this uniform on, you don’t know where you’re going to go or what you’re going to do. Sometimes you’re asked to give your life, and to go to a lot of places you don’t want to go. Somebody has to do that.”
Vietnam War veteran Dewey Chaney, who was drafted by Uncle Sam in 1969, said on MetroNews “Midday” on Tuesday that people can’t lose sight of the bravery shown by veterans and their families.
“It’s a good feeling to recognize the veterans and active-duty people right now that’s serving,” Chaney said. “but we’ve got to keep this image of the veterans and troops in the public eye. They’ve got to keep being reminded that our country is what it is because of our troops and the people who have sacrificed.”
Welch
McDowell County boasts the longest-running Veterans Day parade in the country, according to Welch Mayor Harold McBride. The event in Welch steps off at 10 a.m. on Wednesday.
McBride said it’s a tradition that everyone in the area has always prioritized.
“West Virginia had more veterans per capita than any other state,” McBride said on MetroNews “Midday” on Tuesday. “McDowell County had more veterans per capita than any other county, so we take this very seriously in honoring their vets.”
The parade is unlike any other, McBride said, with lots of work put in.
“Over the years, we’ve built trains that was 100 foot long, and we’ve built ships and submarines and helicopters,” McBride said. “When we build stuff like this, we make sure it works and the whole nine yards. Also, the past six or seven, eight years, I walk the parade route as Uncle Sam on stilts.”
West Virginia University President Michael Benson will serve as the grand marshal in the Welch parade.
Marine Corps birthday
Veterans Day falls one day after the U.S. Marine Corps’ birthday each year. In 2026, the Marine Corps is celebrating its 251st birthday.
Deputy U.S. Marshal for Southern West Virginia Mark Waggamon served in the Marine Corps from 2007 to 2018. He said there’s nothing like it and they’re proud to commemorate its rich history.
“Being a Marine is a very big undertaking,” Waggamon said. “It’s a title that you earn. It’s not one that you’re given. So, we hold the memory of those who came before us very near and dear to us. We very much like to celebrate the history of this branch.”
Waggamon said that the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, inspired him to enlist. He said he’d do it all over again if he had the chance.
“Honestly, it made me grow up,” Waggamon said. “I think it’s made me a better person and a better man. Even though I’m not in the Marine Corps still, I still every day when I go to work and I conduct my daily business, I still consider myself a Marine. I think it’s a betterment of humanality and makes somebody more humble and disciplined and makes them a very good member of society.”
Waggamon’s service in the Marines included stops in nine different counties, one of them being Afghanistan in 2010. He said that being a Marine is a lifestyle, continuing well after his service concluded.
“Being a Marine, it’s not just a title you earn,” Waggamon said. “It’s a culture, and it’s something that lives with you until the day that you die. I can tell you I may not wear a uniform anymore, but it’s one I’m never going to take off. I’m always going to be a Marine. I may come and go and retire from the job I currently hold, but I will always be a United States Marine. They instill that in you. when you become a Marine.”
Eastern Panhandle
While the nation celebrates Veterans Day Wednesday, Martinsburg got a head start with its annual Veterans Day Parade last Saturday.
103-year-old World War II veteran and guest of honor Jack Myers returned for the third time, and he sang the National Anthem at the start of the parade.
Myers served as a corporal in the U.S. Army at the Battle of the Bulge. His battalion also helped liberate the Dachau concentration camp during the second world war.
Serving as Grand Marshal was Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe of the West Virginia Air National Guard’s 167th Airlift Wing. He was recognized as a Purple Heart recipient and Freedom 250 Hometown Hero. Wolfe was critically injured in November of last year following an ambush attack that also killed Specialist Sarah Beckstrom.
Once again, organizers hosted a ‘Welcome Home’ pin presentation for any Vietnam or Vietnam-era veteran in attendance.
MetroNews affiliate WEPM contributed to this story.