SANFORD, N.C. — Central Carolina Community College honored the contributions — and sacrifices — of veterans and their families during a ceremony sponsored and coordinated by CCCC’s Veterans Upward Bound program.
Veterans Day recognizes people who have often had to skip special days in service to their country.
“You miss out on a lot of birthdays, other holidays, and especially wedding anniversaries, because you know you want to be there for those, but you can’t,” said retired Senior Chief Gary Gilliam, a Navy veteran, proud CCCC alumnus, and Lee County Veterans Council President.
“Each time that it was up for me to enlist, it’s not just me making that commitment, it’s the whole family,” he said.
Retired Col. Dan Hardin, Assisting Priest at St. Francis Anglican Parish in Sanford, told the story of his friend and mentor Gerry Bebber and his wife Irene, and the challenges they endured amid his service and deployments, including ministry to troops in Iraq during the first Gulf War.
One of the darkest hours of Bebber’s career was March 23, 1994, at Pope Airforce Base in North Carolina, when two military planes collided in mid-air, and then one of those aircraft hit the ground and careened into a parked plane.
“As people were running away, Gerry actually ran into the flames,” Hardin said. “He was administering first aid. He was praying with those who had their last breaths of life.”
When Bebber came home, Hardin said, he reeked of jet fuel and smoke, and his uniform was stained with blood.
“It was Irene who met him at the door, welcomed him, who helped him get cleaned up and gave him love and compassion,” he said.
At the Veterans Day ceremony, members of the Lee County Community Orchestra played the hymns of each branch of the military, while attendees who had served in those branches stood to be honored.
CCCC was recently recognized as a veteran-friendly school by U.S. Veterans Magazine for the support the college provides to student veterans throughout the year.
Veterans Day is personal for CCCC President Dr. Lisa M. Chapman, who is a wife, grandchild, niece, and mother-in-law to family members who have served.
“We just can’t tell you how much you’re appreciated,” Dr. Chapman said. “We honor you and we will always honor you.”
