NC State’s Belltower Centennial Event

Poppies at the North Carolina State University Belltower Centennial Ceremony

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place, and in the sky,
The larks, still bravely singing, fly,
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

~ from the poem “In Flanders Field” by John McCrae

The ceremony at North Carolina State University’s Belltower mentioned in yesterday’s post included the recitation of the poem, while surrounded by a mixture of thousands of real and artificial poppies, shown above, the internationally recognized symbol of remembrance.

Jerry Hester, military veteran and NCSU alumni (class of 1935), who was appointed to the WWI Centennial Commission by President Obama, presented the university with a 2018 World War I Centennial Silver Dollar.

The 40-minute ceremony also included a singing of the national anthem, an invocation, the laying of a wreath at the base of the tower and “Taps” in memory of the 34 NC State students and alumni who died while serving our country in World War I.

The ceremony ended with a 21-gun salute and a flyover of F-15 fighters from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro, which alarmed nearby residents who were unaware.

Read an account of the ceremony and view the great pictures published in the North State Journal.

The North Carolina State University Belltower was designated an official WWI Centennial Memorial last year during the first round of the 100 Cities / 100 Memorials program.

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