Greenville Celebrates Memorial Day

The Memorial Day Celebration in Greenville was filled with friendly faces, fun laughs, and sometimes, solemn moments.

All who came to Confederate Park showed their support for those serving our country, while getting a little history lesson on the holiday.

“It’s also a day of unity. It originated after the Civil War, and it really brought this country together,” said guest speaker Walter Givhan. Though Givhan is not a Greenville native, he has many family ties to the area through his wife, who grew up in the city. He is also a retired Air Force Major General. Givhan was impressed with the level of military support from Greenville residents.

“Greenville is one of those classic communities where you can tell that that sense of service runs deep,” he said. “You looked out in the audience, you saw all those veterans, from all the different wars, from all the different services, who were here to honor those who had fallen.”

The theme of this year’s celebration was “The Ongoing War on Terrorism.” Givhan spoke about his time in the military, and shared his hopes that people remember those who did not come home.

“Soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, they went out and they never came back,” Givhan said. “It’s about honoring those we have here, but also thinking of those who are buried in foreign lands who were fighting for their country abroad.”

Laun Pryor is a Junior Assistant Scout Master who attended the ceremony. He and his scout troop presented the flags of the different branches of the military, and led the veterans on a small Memorial Walk around the park.

“These people are part of history, and they helped with our future,” he said of the veterans. “And that means a lot, that we can support them for what they’ve done for us. Because, some people don’t realize it, but these people did sacrifice their lives for our future.”

Some of Pryor’s troop leaders are Air Force veterans, and have many stories to tell about their time in the service.

“It’s very interesting to hear, what they go through,” Prayor said. “Because you don’t think about, you think they just go up there and work on airplanes, stuff like that. No, there’s a lot more involved in that.”

Pryor and his fellow scouts also know the importance of giving thanks to those who gave their lives for their freedom.

“Thank you. Even though you aren’t here, we are still celebrating your sacrifice.”

The Memorial Day Celebration is an annual event hosted by the Greenville Lions Club. A live band was there for entertainment and lunch was provided to all the veterans.