DOBBINS HEIGHTS — Legacy is what’s left behind for others to receive.
That goes for both families and those who serve in the military, according to former secretary of the N.C. Department of Military and Veterans Affairs Larry Hall, who was the guest speaker at Friday’s Veterans Day service at the Dobbins Heights Community Center.
A 16-year-veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and Marine Corps Reserves, Hall also served as minority leader in the N.C. House of Representatives prior to his administrative post.
“Our history is steeped in customs and traditions,” Hall said, such as standing for the national anthem and reciting the pledge of allegiance with your hand over your heart.
“We’ve got a whole different way of teaching legacy and receiving legacy … now we’re receiving legacy…three inches away from our face,” Hall said, holding up his cellphone.
“It’s a big challenge to understand that people are being programmed unknowingly,” he added, giving an example of how computer algorithms work. “We’re living the legacy that we’ve been taught, but we’re also leaving a legacy and we can’t all let it be determined by that.”
One legacy of the Marine Corps, Hall said, is the motto, “Never leave a man behind.” That ideal, he added, has led to a higher number of casualties among those trying to recover the wounded and war dead than those they were trying to assist.
It’s not just soldiers sacrificing their time and lives, but also their families, Hall said.
“You’ll hear people say, ‘Thank you for your service,’ (but) it’s bigger than that,” Hall said. “Thank you for your sacrifice; thank the family for their sacrifice.”
Hall’s mother made her own sacrifice, supporting his father who was in the Army, his brother who was in the Air Force and him in the Marines.
When it comes to swearing oaths and reciting the pledge, Hall said many people don’t understand the integrity demanded.
“You’re not pledging to a man, you’re pledging allegiance to a flag that is an emblem of this country. Your allegiance is not to any individual, it’s to the concept of this country,” Hall said. “Don’t let someone trick you into believing that you’re pledging allegiance to any one man, state, federal, regional government.”
The mission for veterans, Hall continued, is to be culture changers: “…to step up, to step out, to make sure people understand” their fiduciary duty to the community when they take an oath.
Click here to read about more upcoming Veterans Day events in Richmond County.
See more photos from the Dobbins Heights event below.
