The Newton County Academy Generals are inviting all former and current members of the armed services to come out Sept. 7 for the Generals Salute, a military appreciation game against Carroll County.
Ashley Bunyard, who organized the Generals Salute, said it will be an entire night dedicated to honoring veterans for their service.
“The football team will come out and shake the veterans’ hands,” she said. “The whole night is about honoring veterans from the cheerleaders, the football players, everything.”
Prior to the game, Bunyard said, veterans will be asked to gather in the Generals’ end zone, where chairs will be set up for them.
“There will be an empty chair for each row to recognize the veterans who are no longer with us,” she said.
At 6:40, the anthems of each of the United States military branches, Navy, Army, Marines and Coast Guard will play. As each veteran hears their branch’s anthem play, they will stand up and be recognized, Bunyard said.
“We’ll do it by branch. We’ll play each branch’s anthem, and if you hear your song, you stand up,” she said.
After the four anthems are played, the National anthem will follow along with a firework show performed by a professional pyrotechnician. Bunyard said a few surprise guests may also drop in to help celebrate the men and women who have served in the military.
And that is what the Generals Salute is about, Bunyard said. In their classes, she said, Newton County Academy students have learned about the freedoms they enjoy as a direct result of veterans’ sacrifices.
“All of the kids have been taught all of those liberties you have didn’t come without a price tag and those men and women footed the bill,” she said.
All veterans, regardless of their affiliation with Newton County Academy, are invited to attend the Sept. 7 game, she said. Admission will be free for everyone with a valid military ID.
To make sure everything stays on schedule, veterans are asked to arrive shortly before 6:30 p.m. to give everyone a chance to gather in the end zone for the ceremony. All veterans will be escorted onto the field.
Bunyard said Generals Salute is open to all residents and veterans to come out and thank service members for their sacrifice. For more information, contact Bunyard at 601-527-8572.
