Lewes-Rehoboth Rotary honors veterans
Members of the Lewes-Rehoboth Rotary held their Flags for Heroes ceremony on Veterans Day to not only salute veterans, but also to honor first responders and other community heroes. The club is flying more than 500 U.S. flags along Kings Highway near Cape Henlopen High School. Each of the flags contains a medallion purchased by friends and family to honor their own heroes.
The club donates the money raised to charitable organizations in the community. Last year, the club raised a record $57,500, said Past President Chuck Ward, and he thinks this year's effort will be near or above that total.
Keynote speaker retired U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Michael Bellerose, who served for 28 years, talked about the importance of the U.S. flag to the country and its veterans. He told a story first told by deceased U.S. Sen. John McCain, who was a POW in North Vietnam for more than five years. POW Michael Christian somehow managed to sew a U.S. flag inside his shirt. Each night his fellow POWs would say the Pledge of Allegiance to the makeshift flag.
After guards found the flag, they nearly beat Christian to death, but he survived and was sent back to the prison compound. He immediately began the painstaking process of sewing another flag inside his shirt.
Bellerose said that illustrates just how important the flag is. “That flag flies in the heart of every veteran. It's who we are and stands for the freedom we all share,” he said.
Bellerose, who is also a commercial pilot, is founder of Race4Warriors, a nonprofit organization formed to honor Middle East veterans through competition, education and celebration. An event has been scheduled in Lewes on May 14, 2022. For more information, go to race4warriors.org.
Others taking part in the ceremony included Rep. Steve Smyk, R-Lewes, Lewes Mayor Ted Becker, Sussex County Councilman Mark Schaeffer and members of the Sussex Technical High School and Cape Henlopen High School JROTC. Rotary board member Mary Jo Porreca served as emcee.
Those presenting flags in honor of heroes were: Veteran David Tam, Beebe Healthcare CEO and president, for medical responders; World War II veteran Tom Creekmore for veterans; and the Revs. Vicki and Bo Gordy-Stith of Epworth United Methodist Church for those who volunteer to feed people in need.
Students Marley Fyock and Noel Rowlands of Beacon Middle School and Grace Lucas of Delmarva Christian School provided music and Cape High student Josh Turek played “Taps.”
