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BUTNER — U.S. service members will be honored during a 2023 Memorial Day wreath-laying ceremony on Monday, May 29, at Gazebo Park, 416 Central Ave. The event begins at 10 a.m., a news release says.
The keynote speaker of this year’s ceremony is Ronnie Boyd, a Granville County native. Boyd served with the 731st Maintenance Co. of the National Guard and was headquartered at the Butner Armory. His maintenance team landed in Saudi Arabia in November 1990 and honorably served until May 1991. Boyd will be recounting his experiences during his deployment and return to Granville County.
Other participants of this year’s ceremony include the South Granville High School Band and Jr. Reserve Officers Training Corps, the Rev. Jimmy Hall of Bible Baptist Church, Interim Pastor Jim Shelley of First Baptist Church of Butner,and the Girls Scouts of America, Troop 1211.
After the ceremony, the Town Hall gallery will be open to the public and will feature an exhibit titled “The First Gulf War: The War to Free Kuwait” organized by the N.C. Museum of History. The exhibit features eight informational panels filled with photographs recounting the conflict that began when Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein attacked Kuwait on Aug. 2, 1990. The resulting conflict would later become known as the Persian Gulf War of 1990–1991, during which the United States led the most varied coalition of nations in recent history in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm to drive Iraqi forces out of Kuwait.
In the event of bad weather, the ceremony will be held at the Soldiers Memorial Sports Arena on 416 24th Street in Butner. Contact Mallory Richard at mrichard@butnernc.org or 919-298-2654 for more information.
