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The Oxford Police Department presents the colors during the annual Veterans Day Ceremony at the National Guard Armory Monday morning. Photo by Alyssa Schnugg

Mayor Robyn Tannehill welcomed everyone to the event. Photo by Rebecca Alexander

The Keynote speaker was Sgt. 1st Class Louis Pike. Photo by Rebecca Alexander

DAV Commander Harold Brummett. Photo by Rebecca Alexander

The commanders of the local veteran organizations with keynote speaker Sgt. 1st Class Louis Pike. From left: Will Mobley, VFW; Jason Pardoe, Marine Corp League; Pike; Harold Brummett, DAV; Dennis Bullard, American Legion. Photo by Rebecca Alexander

Lacking a guest performer to sing the national anthem, local veterans and community members sang the song together to open the annual Veterans Day Celebration at the National Guard Armory on Monday morning.

Sponsored by the VFW Post 3978, the American Legion Post 55, the Disabled American Veterans Chapter 48 and the Marine Corp League Det. 1431, the ceremony moved back to the Armory for the first time since the pandemic.

The Oxford Police Department Honor Guard posted the colors to kick off the ceremony.

After the national anthem, the Rev. James Petermann performed the invocation and later, the benediction. VFW Commander Will Mobley was the master of ceremonies.

Special guests included Lafayette County Circuit Court Clerk Jeff Busby, Oxford Mayor Robyn Tannehill and Board of Supervisor President Brent Larson.

The keynote speaker was Sgt. 1^st Class Louis Pike.

Busby reminded the audience of the recent election and how it was thanks to veterans that Americans have the right to vote.

“I think we take it for granted so often these days,” he said. “It’s not just about voting for an individual, it’s about the people who laid their lives on the line, and put their lives on hold for us to be able to do that.”

Larson thanked all the veterans in attendance.

“Veterans, day is about honoring those who are stood for something greater than themselves,” he said. “Our veterans remind us what it looks like to put values like courage, sacrifice and loyalty into action, and today, we are reminded of a lasting legacy our veterans create for generations of their service and dedication, they instill values and shape our community and guide the future.”

Tannehill said while there will never be a way to fully pay back veterans for their sacrifices, “we can still try.”

“We can practice kindness. We can pay it forward, we can volunteer, we can serve, we can respect one another, and we can always have each other’s backs,” she said.

Pike spoke on the sacrifices often made by veterans and the challenges they deal with, before, during and after their service ends.

“Not all veterans are the same, but they are alike. Men and woman fighting for our country,” Pike said. “There are many challenges for veterans after leaving the military — relationships with themselves, physical handicaps — so on this Veterans Day, let us remember the service of our veterans and may God bless our veterans and may God continue to bless the United States.”

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