“We’re here today to honor those who have preserved our freedoms, both at home and overseas,” said guest speaker Donald Duncan at the annual Veterans Day Flag Ceremony at Southport Memorial Library on Friday, Nov. 11.

Over 50 veterans and residents of the region turned out for the 11 a.m. ceremony, which featured local historian Duncan’s talk about Armistice Day, 1918 and he read a description of what it was like for soldiers during World War I, as written by British historian John Buchan.

Jane Mulholland, president of Southport Library Aides, welcomed everyone to the library, as some wind kicked up on the rather pleasant morning with temperatures in the 50s. Before the ceremony, veteran Tim Hanley lowered the flag to half staff.

Following Duncan’s speech, veteran Dr. Barclay Shepard read the poem, “In Flanders Fields,” by Canadian poet, soldier and physician John McCrae.

The Rev. Kit Sherrill offered three prayers, followed by Southport Selectman Gerry Gamage reading a list of Southport veterans who had died since Veterans Day 2021. He also led the assemblage in the singing of “God Bless America” and “You’re a Grand Old Flag.”

The Rev. Robert Dent played “Taps” on trumpet on one side of the parking lot and was echoed on trumpet by Russell Hoffman on the other side of the lot. Hanley then raised the flag and veteran Jim Singer organized the veterans for the traditional group photo.

Most of the crowd then gathered in the library for coffee and doughnuts and Singer’s slide show of 377 veterans in the region, 325 of whom are still alive and 52 who died in the past 12 months, according to Singer.