Veterans honored for service during Veterans Day ceremony

SALISBURY — What is a veteran?

That was the topic of the keynote speech, shared by Lt. Colonel Tom Duncan, United States Army, retired, as he addressed the crowd at the W.G. (Bill) Hefner VA Medical Center during the Veterans Day ceremony.

Duncan provided various statistics concerning veterans, noting there are an estimated 17,300,000 living veterans. He also shared numbers serving in the different wars, including numbers for combat and noncombat, stressing that all are veterans and each job was just as important.

As he spoke about the different roles that veterans filled in military service, Duncan said each was where they were needed, and they did the job they were supposed to be doing and they did it with honor. That, he said, is what a veteran is.

He concluded by saying “there are veterans all around us,” and we need to “just look around.”

Also speaking during the ceremony was Charles Dave Collins, interim executive director and United States Air Force, retired.

After thanking everyone for coming and expressing gratitude to those who worked to make the event happen, Collins asked “why are we here” and his response was it’s Veterans Day and the day is one that “touches the heart of all who have won the cloth of our nation and all who cherish freedom.”

He said that for some the day may be one when veterans spend time with fellow veterans and share stories or it may be a day when veterans wrestle with thoughts, revisiting sights and sounds or they may visit a cemetery and share a memory or stand in silence of a brother or sister who paid the ultimate sacrifice.

There’s no wrong way to spend the day, he noted, but said that there at the VA, “everyday is Veterans Day, You are the reason we are here.”

Major Queen Williams, United States Air Force, retired, chairperson of the Veterans Day Event committee and a member of American Legion Post 342, shared opening remarks for the day as she welcomed everyone and said, “it’s an awesome day.”

She welcomed the elected officials who were present and hospital personnel and made a special announcement noting there were three World War II veterans there, Jim Deal, Glenn Hoffner and John Cauble. The three were recognized later during the ceremony with gifts and certificates and Deal, being the oldest at 103, cut the cake which was served after the program.

Several awards were presented during the ceremony by Gunnery Sergeant Michael Catus, United States Marine Corps, retired and president of the Rowan County Veterans Council. These went to Guy Ramsey, who was named Veteran of the Year and Queen Williams, who was the 2026 Service Officer of the Year.

As noted on his plaque, Ramsey was awarded for his “dedication, commitment, determination and tireless efforts to serve our community.”

It noted his volunteering, supporting and spearheading fundraisers, and was the top fundraiser for 2024 and 2025 and said, “we are grateful for your unwavering leadership and humanitarian efforts to the homeless, the Patriot Guard Riders and the scouts.”

Williams’ was recognized, as her plaque stated, “for her commitment, determination and tireless efforts to serve and provide counseling, mentoring and assistance to every veterans their families” as well as for her impact made to the local schools’ special needs children and those in the community who are homeless and the American Legion fastpitch softball program.

Additional features of the ceremony included the invocation by VA Medical Center Chaplain Stephen J. Zachary, the presentation and retiring of colors by the Rowan County Honor Guard, Pledge of Allegiance by Cauble, music by Martha Corriher, president of the American Legion Auxiliary Unit 146, the presentation and explanation of the POW-MIA table by Lucas Douthit, a member of scout troop 443, the introduction of the keynote speaker by Sean Douthit, comments by Senator Carl Ford and Representative Grant Campbell, the presentation of a proclamation by Rowan County Commissioner Greg Edds and the benediction by Rowan County Veterans Council Chaplain Rev. James Hopper.