Trail of Honor 2014

Last Saturday, I went by the Mississippi Trail of Honor exhibition that is set-up in our local Harley Davidson shop and in the woods behind it.

The shop display room is cleared and local veterans groups, veterans assistance organizations, and others set up display tables, exhibits, and assistance booths.

Various veterans groups - Marines, Vietnam Veterans, etc.

The 82nd Airborne Association

Tuskegee Airman manning the Buffalo Soldiers Association table

More Tuskegee airmen

WW2 Marine Navajo code talkers

Mississippi Military Museum, Camp Shelby

Outside in the woods behind the Harley shop, groups representing America's various wars, from the French and Indian to modern, set up living history demonstrations.

My friend John H. in his Continental officer's uniform, looking rather warm and uncomfortable.

A battery of Confederate artillery

And their opposite numbers, a Union Model 1841 12-lb howitzer, getting ready to fire.

Loading the piece.

And firing.  They double charged it and the noise was palpable to my body as well as my ears.

But the highlight of the exhibition honors our fallen veterans.

The Traveling Vietnam Veterans Wall, which is escorted throughout its time in the state by the American Legion Riders.  The honor guard this year was provided by the Mississippi State Guard, I think.

The Mississippi Faces of the Fallen Wall (under the tent) honors those Mississippians who have died in our recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan

The US flags stretched along the trail in both directions.

All in all it is a grand way to honor and memorialize our American veterans (of whom I am one).  I was able to meet and thank a number of older veterans and renew a few acquaintances from previous years.