Copiah Chapter DAR to honor Vietnam veterans in March 28 ceremony
By Tricia Nelson
Copiah Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution is hosting a Copiah County Vietnam Veterans Ceremony at 11 a.m., Thursday, March 28. The program will be held on the lawn of the Copiah County Courthouse but will move inside the courthouse in the case of inclement weather.
The ceremony is to honor local Vietnam veterans, both living and deceased. The Copiah County Sheriff’s Office will present and post the colors. The Pledge of Allegiance will be led by Copiah Academy senior Emma Thompson. Rev. Chris Willett will give the invocation, and DAR member Suzanne Starkey will sing the national anthem. Ryan Purser will sing “God Bless the USA,” and the guest speaker, Major Rachel L. Wilson, will sing “America the Beautiful.” DAR member Robin Lackey will present the Governor’s Proclamation, and Regent Linda Channell and additional DAR members will pin veterans. Suzanna Smith will play “Taps,” and closing remarks will be presented by Joseph Michael Rodriquez, of the U.S. Marine Corps. Large American flags decorating the grounds are courtesy of Mr. and Mrs. Billy Ray Mullins.
Guest speaker Wilson is the judge advocate assigned to the Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, 172d Airlift Wing, Thompson Field, in Jackson. She is also the executive director of the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance, where she is responsible for directing all agency functions, including prosecuting all state court judges for breach of conduct.
Major Wilson graduated with a Juris Doctor from Mississippi College School of Law in 2000 and received a direct commission as a first lieutenant in the Mississippi Army National Guard in 2014, completed Basic Officer Leadership Training, and was certified as a judge advocate in 2015. She assessed to the Air National Guard in 2017, completed additional training, and was certified a second time as a judge advocate in 2017.
In addition to her civilian practice, Wilson is an adjunct professor at the Mississippi College School of Law, Mississippi Law Enforcement Officers Training Academy, and Southern Regional Public Safety Institute Law Enforcement Academy.
The first Vietnam veterans pinning ceremony was held by the Copiah Chapter DAR in 2015 in Crystal Springs. This ceremony is much larger with over 90 invitations having been sent. Every effort has been made to identify and include as many Vietnam veterans as possible. The public is invited to attend as these veterans and their service are honored.
