Battleship North Carolina holds its 60th Memorial Day Remembrance ceremony

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Hundreds of people participated in the Memorial Day ceremony held at the Battleship North Carolina.

Monday’s ceremony was the 60th Memorial Day Remembrance held at the Battleship since being docked in Wilmington.

Dozens of military veterans were thanked for their service, including 98-year-old World War 2 vet Robert Harding, who served as an aircraft pusher on the USS Yorktown aircraft carrier. He also briefly served as a gunner, helping to shoot down kamikaze.

Hardin spoke about what Memorial Day means to him.

“Future generations realizes what America is all about,” Harding. “And that’s kind of the aim of past military is to protect America to be what America is.”

The ceremony’s keynote speaker was Colonel Marshalee Clarke, commanding officer of the Marine Corps Combat Service Support Schools at Camp Lejeune.

She said it was an honor being a part of the ceremony.

“They have brothers, sisters not necessarily by blood but by service who paid the ultimate sacrifice for me to be here,” Clarke said. “So to be asked to depart words to those individuals, it really took me back and it took me a long time to put this speech together. So I’m hoping that I did service to them and for those who are lost.”

“They need to tell their story, as many people who can possibly listen, they need to tell their story.”

Marines from Camp Lejeune served as the honor guard, rifle guard, and bugler for the ceremony.

Along with those who had served, the ceremony honored the more than 11,000 North Carolinians who have died during military service.