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The Moody Museum provided a Salute to the Troops the Sunday before Veterans Day for the eighth time.
The solemn event began Nov. 5 with a flag raising by the Taylor Fire Department Honor Guard.
It was followed by the singing of the national anthem, led by Moody Museum Advisory Board Member DeAnn Stuart. Board members, attending veterans and families later shared stories over coffee and snacks.
“The Moody Museum strives to honor veterans of all of America’s wars,” said Joe Burgess, president of the Friends of the Moody Museum board. “They (were) invited to bring shadow boxes of their service memorabilia, which are displayed throughout the museum. This is in addition to memorabilia in the museum’s permanent collection.” he said.
Each year a speaker is chosen to commemorate a wartime anniversary, and 2023 marks the 70th anniversary of the end of the Korean War.
Ernest Rector, a board member of the Friends of the Moody Museum, shared stories of his acquaintances who were wounded in the war. Rector, who was discharged from the army just prior to the war, was living in San Francisco as these soldiers were returned to the United States.
Burgess said the museum chose to host such an event since Dan Moody joined the army in the final days of World War I, and became the first commander of the Taylor American Legion in 1919.
