There are two upcoming events around Richmond County to remember those who lost their lives while serving in the military.
The annual county Memorial Day observance is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday, May 23.
The ceremony is usually held at Richmond County Veterans Memorial Park, but in the likely event of rain, it will be moved inside of VFW Post 4203 in Rockingham.
The speaker for this year’s event is retired Army Maj. Matt Houston, currently the senior Army instructor for the Junior ROTC program at Richmond Senior High School.
Houston, a native of Tennessee, joined the army in 1997 as an infantry paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division. Following his initial enlistment, he enrolled in the ROTC program at Appalachian State University and when he graduated was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant.
His domestic stations included Fort Sill (Oklahoma), Fort Bliss (Texas), Fort Campbell (Kentucky) and Fort Bragg. He was also stationed in Germany.
Houston served in the 1st Armored Division, 7th Army, 101st Airborne Division and the 4th ROTC Brigade.
During his time, Houston was deployed to a peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, as well as two combat missions in Iraq and three in Afghanistan. He retired in 2023.
The town of Norman will also be hosting at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, May 30 at the Field of Honor.
Dobbins Heights will not be holding an event this year.
