A field in Williamstown has been transformed into a place of remembrance, reflection, and respect for those who gave their lives in service to the country — from World War veterans to those who fought in the War on Terror.
"A Nation Remembers" is running through Saturday evening in Grant County, bringing veterans and families together from across the country.
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Joe Montgomery, founder of Patriots Landing, organized the event through his veterans nonprofit. Patriots Landing was founded three years ago, and this is the first year of what Montgomery hopes becomes an annual tradition.
"It's for people to come out and remember and respect and reflect," Montgomery said. "We've got the church, the Mount Olivet church here in Williamstown, Kentucky, that has a bunch of volunteers that'll be coming out, uh, either for some, some prayer or support or fellowship. So really the whole idea of this first year of A Nation Remembers, and we hope to do it every year, is to just impact people's lives."
The event features several exhibits open free to the public, including a Vietnam Wall replica, the Eyes of Freedom exhibit honoring the dozens of young men from Lima, Ohio, who lost their lives in Iraq in 2005, a Silent Battle Memorial, and an "America 250" moving museum. The event coincides with the 250th anniversary of America and the 25th anniversary of 9/11.
"Well, first of all, we want people, they're coming from all over the country," Montgomery said. "So our goal literally as a community is we want people coming in."
A parade is also part of the event, featuring close to 50 floats and military vehicles, including an M5A1 World War II tank.
The parade's grand marshal is Bill Robinson, the longest-held enlisted POW in American history, who spent seven and a half years in the Hanoi Hilton. Montgomery shared a reflection Robinson once offered him about maintaining a positive outlook through captivity.
"If I chose anger or to be mad or upset, my captors won," he told Montgomery. "He says, no, I'm not letting them win. I chose happy. I chose, you know, proud to be an American."
Saturday wraps up the event with activities at the Ark Encounter. A ticket is required for that specific experience, but all other exhibits and activities remain free to the public.
"Bring your family, your friends, your neighbors, your kids...just this truck alone, the educational aspect of that is amazing," Montgomery said. "So everything is free to the public."
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