NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — "We are out here today to honor these men and women who have fallen. That's what Memorial Day is all about. Were out here to celebrate and honor these men and women for what they've sacrificed for us," Colonel Samuel Beard said.
Beard is a retired Colonel with the Tennessee National Guard. He is part of the Davidson County Coordinating Counsel, the group who put on the Nashville National Cemetery Memorial Day event this Monday. It happens every year.
"I've served for almost 38 years in the Army and National Guard full time," Col. Beard said. "I know some of these folks out here so it means a lot to me. A lot of veterans in Nashville come out here just to spend some time with a good buddy they had or a good friend. People come to celebrate and be with their loved ones that they've lost and enjoy the day."
At the ceremony, they read off the names and ring a bell for them.
"It just echoes throughout this whole area, it really sounds nice," Beard said.
They also give a 21 gun salute and put up flags all over the cemetery.
"We couldn't of done it without the volunteers, the young marines and the ROTCs and the boy scouts and girl scouts... we're very appreciative of everyone coming out here and helping us celebrate this day."
For people of my generation, in our younger days we spent part of our weekends watching music shows like American Bandstand and Soul Train. That was before the age of music videos. Several years before Soul Train was syndicated out of Chicago, another syndicated R&B show was taped in Nashville at NewsChannel 5. Night Train aired in the 60s and included what may have been the first TV appearance for legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix. Forrest Sanders has another great look back at station history.
-Lelan Statom
