Mecklenburg Sun

Local veterans were honored during Veterans Day programs Monday morning in Clarksville and South Hill. Top, the program keynote speaker at Veterans Memorial Park in Clarksville was retired Army Lt. Col. Eloise Sloan, shown holding a photo of an Army “fun run” — which, Sloan told listeners, were never much fun for her, since she dislikes running. However, the experience taught her the importance of perseverance and believing in herself, important qualities in life that she explained to elementary schoool students in Clarksville and Chase City who attended the ceremony. Middle, keynote speaker for the VFW Post 7166 Veterans Day program in South Hill was Army Master Sgt. Bobby Ingram. He is the son of the new VFW Post Commander Rolinda Gilliam, who is the Post’s first female commander. Ingram spoke of the fact that the faces of the VFW are changing, but all members continue to honor the past and present of heroes who have fought and are still fighting for our country. Bottom, Del. Tommy Wright took a moment to recognize two of the oldest veterans at the South Hill ceremony — Lewis Hite, age 92, a Viet Nam Navy veteran who served from 1946-1982, and Wes Jones, 98, a WWII Army veteran who served with Gen. George S. Patton. (Photos by Susan Kyte and Lisa Clary)