Winter Garden holding 25th Memorial Day ceremony

When Theo Graham was city commissioner of Winter Garden in 1991, he expressed an interest in creating a memorial to honor the city’s war veterans who didn’t make it home alive. He and the city started a fund in hopes of raising enough money to build a granite or marble monument for a park in Winter Garden.

Their goal was $20,000.

Two years later, the funds had been donated, the monument was built and the city of Winter Garden dedicated it at the Memorial Day ceremony at Veterans Memorial Park.

The guest speaker in 1993 was Vice Admiral Aime R. Bernard, who served in the Coast Guard Auxiliary, a uniformed volunteer component of the U.S. Coast Guard.

When the memorial was unveiled, the names of 24 Winter Garden residents killed in action were etched in granite with their military branch and rank and the war in which they died. Many of their surviving family members were in attendance.

Graham said he embarked on this project so people wouldn’t forget the sacrifices made by individuals in their community. Placing the monument in a city park ensured residents would see it often.

Each of the names was read by a local resident who served in that particular war but returned home: C.D. McAllister for World War I, Franklin Cappleman for World War II, Selby Burch for the Korean War and Ward Britt Jr. for the Vietnam War. A bell tolled after each name.

Those listed on the memorial are:

• Army — Hugh T. Gregory, Paul Parker, Jack Gray, Roy Cosgrove, Provia Ison, Rodney Connell, John Vick, William C. Bray, W.H. Crawford, Arthur P. Nolan, Elton E. Smoak, Charles Fields, Buford G. Johnson, Herbert L. Thompson, Charles W. Love Jr., Nathan E. Peacock Jr., Charlie Rainey and (added later) Gary Maloy and George R. Tamsitt;

• Air Force — George B. McMillan and Marion E. Reed;

• Marines — James B. Hennis, Walter L. Jordan, David W. Tubb, Buford L. Burns and Cecil R. Moorman.

It is tradition to place memorial wreaths at the base of the monument, and the honor has typically gone to elected officials, local veterans or representatives from area veterans organizations.

Through the years, guests have been invited to speak to the crowd each Memorial Day. In addition to Bernard, past speakers have been Lt. Gen. Thomas McGehee, Col. Thomas Ferebee, Col. Richard Ezzard, Lt. Col. Phillip A. Kulbes, Lt. Col. Ben Griffin, Ward Britt Jr., Capt. John Langford, Capt. W.N. “Bill” Sims, William E. “Bill” Maxwell, Sgt. Robert Barfield, Maj. Gen. Douglas Metcalf, Robert B. “Bob” Sindler, Maj. George R. Harvey IV, Capt. Reynaldo Montero, Sgt. John Hanke, Capt. Steven Alvarez, Capt. Michael Waldrop, Chief Petty Officer Dan Kuhl, Capt. Jason Walker, Lt. Gen. Jay Garner, Sgt. Maj. Patrick Corcoran, Master Chief Jerry L. Hagan and Navy Capt. Frank Winget.

JACK STULTZ

This year’s guest speaker is retired Army Lt. Gen. Jack Stultz, who lives in Apopka.

He was commissioned in the Army in May 1974 after graduating from Davidson College in North Carolina. After completing the Engineer Officers Basic Course and Airborne School, he was assigned to the 20th Engineer Battalion at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, where he rose to the rank of captain and commanded another engineer battalion.

In 1979, Stultz transferred into the Army Reserve and was assigned to a training division in North Carolina. In 1990, he deployed to Saudi Arabia in support of Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, providing transportation support for the assault into Kuwait and Iraq.

He has served in Hungary, Croatia and Bosnia in support of Operation Joint Forge/Joint Guard. He deployed to Kuwait as the forward commander of the 143rd Transportation Command, and in 2003 he moved into Iraq with the initial assault and established the first Theater Logistic Support Base at Tallil Air Force Base.

Stultz returned home to Apopka in 2004 after 22 months in theater. He returned to active duty the following year as deputy commanding general at Fort McPherson, Georgia.

He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general in 2006 and assigned Chief Army Reserve/Commanding General US Army Reserve Command. He was responsible for 205,000 soldiers serving around the world. He served in this position until his retirement in July 2012 with more than 38 years in uniform.

Stultz currently serves on the Board of Directors of VSE Corporation, Alexandria, Virginia. In 2015, President Barack Obama nominated Stultz to serve on the National Commission on the Future of the Army.

He and his wife, Laura, have four children and seven grandchildren.

Contact Amy Quesinberry at [email protected].