Throughout our nation’s history, countless Mississippians have served in the military, both at home and abroad. Even before attaining official statehood in 1817, many Mississippians joined the militia during the War of 1812.
During World War II, Mississippi sent over 237,000 soldiers to help in the fight. That number accounted for almost ten percent of the state’s population at the time. In fact, most families in our state sent at least one son away to war, and some families sent (and even lost) multiple family members.
My family was no exception. Of my father and his seven brothers who reached adulthood, all of them served their country at some point, with several serving during the war. None were killed in action, but like most veterans of the time, they did not come home to Mississippi unscathed by what they had experienced and endured.
So, Veterans Day means a great deal to our family, as it does to many Mississippi families. As such, our schools, churches, and civic centers annually honor our veterans on November 11, in various ways, because we know firsthand what our past and current, active-duty veterans (over 40,000 in number) and their families sacrifice for our nation.
But I must say that one of our area’s most moving Veterans Day salutes is carried out annually by Ellistown Baptist Church in Blue Springs, Mississippi. This Union County congregation flies one flag for each veteran (past or present) from the church or the surrounding communities.
It is always such a beautiful sight to behold, but yesterday, when the skies were clear and the winds were blowing in hard and fast from the north, those dozens and dozens of flags whipping in the breeze were literally breathtaking.
My husband, a nine-year veteran of the United States Air Force, and I rode by the church, and we were so moved by this glorious display of our “Stars and Stripes” that we stopped in the middle of the road, pulled over, and got out to film the spectacular sight.
It brought tears to my eyes to think about each of the service members represented by those flags and to know that at some point in their service, each one most likely prayed for nothing more than the opportunity to come home to this very community they called home.
But sadly, not all the names represented on the plaque outside Ellistown Baptist Church made the journey home safely; some gave all for those of us back here in Mississippi. Yet, no matter what the cost would entail, they willingly served to ensure the very freedom we will enjoy on Veterans Day 2025. It was a choice they made – with you and me in mind.
So, today, I make a choice too, and like the congregation of Ellistown Baptist Church, that choice means I will always remember and honor those military men and women who have served this nation and this state.
