History of the Falls Run Wall of Honor and Veterans Day Observances
A list of our Falls Run Wall of Honor Members can be accessed by clicking this link.
In 2004, Scott Hysler, our first Activities Director, started collecting names of Falls Run veterans in an effort to develop a monument at the Community Center to honor our veterans.
The project received a boost with a personal contribution of $300.00 by George Malhiot and the activation of a Falls Run Wall of Honor Committee, with George Malhoit, Bob Gilbert as chairman, and Bill Nosal.
The committee developed a plan to honor our veterans by placing their names on a series of plaques which would include their rank, military branch served at the time of discharge/retirement, and the inclusive years of service. There was no distinction made between active-duty, Reserve, National Guard or war time service and included those who served in the Merchant Marines and with U.S. allied military forces. The only restriction at the time was that the veteran must have been a resident homeowner of Falls Run.
The first plaque, with 150 name plates, was ordered from Crown Trophy in Fredericksburg. Bob Gilbert approached Dennis Ouelette, the Del Webb-Pulte supervisor at the time, for a contribution toward the program. Dennis agreed to pay for the first plaque.
On November 11, 2005, we had our first ceremony, with over 300 attendees. Dennis Ouelette made the dedication speech and unveiled the large plaque in the ballroom. Bob Gilbert acted as master of ceremonies. The program included an active duty guest speaker, the Colonial Forge High School JROTC Color Guard, and the Falls Run Singers, who sang patriotic pieces and the service songs. After the ceremony the attending veterans lined up, with their family members, to have their pictures taken with the plaque. Special decorated cakes and beverages were offered after.
Two new plaques were added in 2006 that brought veteran numbers to 270 names. Gold stars were added to the engraving plates of those veterans who passed away. The original data base, developed by Bill Nosal, was expanded by Doug Ryan to include pay grades to help us determine the varying ranks of each service member. Addresses, phone numbers, and number of years served were also added. Surviving family members, who remained in Falls Run after the death of their veteran spouses, were retained in the database so we could include them in future ceremonies.
Our 2006 program was attended by over 200 guests. The Color Guard detail was provided by North Stafford High School and our guest speaker was Colonel Joseph Molofsky, USMC, Commanding Officer, Security Battalion, Marine Corps Base Quantico. Committee Chairman George Malhiot provided the MC duties, Don Shiffert presented the American Legion POW & MIA ceremony, and the Falls Run Singers the patriotic songs. Refreshments were offered after the ceremony. A photo display, of Falls Run family members currently serving in the U.S. and allied armed forces, was developed by Joan Ryan and placed near the Wall of Honor.
Our 2007 Veterans Day Observance included numerous activities at the center preceding the November 11 ceremony. Ann Jones, our Activities Director, suggested, early in the year, a collaboration between the Falls Run Players and Falls Run Singers to produce a USO Show to be performed on the eve of Veterans Day. Actually two shows were performed, a Friday night dress rehearsal, attended by family members and some residents who could not make the main event, and the main show and dance on Saturday night to a packed ballroom. Special articles in the Gazette highlighted some of our veteran’s memorable moments, Arlington and Veteran’s Cemeteries, and our Wall of Honor. Pictures were posted in the billiards room of several veterans as they served in WWII, Korea and Viet Nam wars, and the display of pictures of family members currently serving in the military was enhanced. The POW/MIA and service standards were purchased for permanent display at our Wall of Honor display and used to adorn our center entrance as people arrived for the Veterans Day Observance. A red carpet and stanchions were placed on the outside of the entrance doors.
The program included the Army JROTC Color Guard Team from Colonial Forge High School. MC duties were provided by committee chair Bob Brown. Our guest speaker was Air Force Chief Master Sergeant Michael Martin, Maintenance Superintendent, Presidential Logistics Manager, Andrews Air Force Base, Washington D.C. Music selections were provided by the Falls Run Singers and guest soloist Stephen Dittmer. Attendance again was over the 200 mark and 4 nicely decorated cakes and drinks were offered after the ceremony.
Originally, expenses of maintaining the “Wall” – adding new member name plates and gold stars, providing the active duty photo display, and adding new plaques have been out of pocket by committee members and a couple of donation requests. Since then Ann Jones, our Activities Director, has supported our Veterans Day Ceremonies with the refreshments, decorations and various other expenses to help make our veterans’ day observance memorable ones. She has also helped with the expense of purchasing flags and additional plaques.
For our program in 2008, thanks to the efforts of resident Marti Coghlan, we had Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, Mr. Craig Duehring as our guest speaker. The Air Force JROTC Color Guard, from North Stafford High School provided the U.S. flag ceremonies and six additional cadets did the meet and greet duties at the front entrance and assisted residents with seating. We received numerous comments of their performance. Bob Brown, committee chair, acted as Master of Ceremonies, Don Shiffert performed the POW/MIA Missing Man Ceremony, the Falls Run Singers provided the music, and resident, retired Air Force Chaplain, Lt. Col. Carl Hawkins, the invocation. Thanks to Loretta Selgelid and her crew of volunteers, along with the traditional service cakes, they offered up finger sandwiches, salad and chips for refreshments for a first time. Plus they provided a very nice patriotic decorative theme for the serving line and billiards room. The pancake breakfasts have served us well as far as paying for this day’s observance and keeping or Wall of Honor up-to-date.
The 2009 program introduced a new Navy JROTC unit from the Brooke Point High School, headed up by Maj Mike Darnell (USMC) and MCPO Bruce Cobb (USN). Their color guard and cadets did an excellent job presenting the colors, greeting our honored guests at the entrance and helping everyone get seated. Our guest speaker was the Commander, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division, Navy Captain Sheila Patterson. George Malhiot conducted the POW/MIA Missing Man Ceremony and Jim Purton briefed The Miss Buddy Hayes Patriotic Pillowcase Project, the Greater Falls Run Lions Club has taken up as a major effort in our community. Bob Brown did the MC bit and Carl Hawkins the invocation. Carl also presented a special recognition certificate for our Falls Run military spouses (An idea generated by Ann Jones our Activities Director). A framed Military Spouse Recognition Certificate, honoring all of our military spouses, is now displayed near our Wall of Honor. The Falls Run Singers provided the music entertainment and the refreshments were served up by Loretta Selgelid and her team of volunteers.
After two years of tracing RDML Gregory Nosal’s (Son of Bill and Dot Nosal) Navy career and wondering if he would ever be reassigned to the Pentagon long enough to get him as guest speaker for our Veterans Day Observance, we made it in 2010. Admiral Nosal pinned on his star in the fall of 2009 and was assigned to the Pentagon as Associate Director, Assessments Division Staff of Naval Operations. We requested a repeat performance by the Navy JROTC Color Guard from Brooke Point High School, and for the first time a Cadet Honor Guard took on the additional task of performing the POW/MIA ceremony. This specific ceremony honored each military service by cadets ceremoniously placing each service hat on the POW/MIA table. Activities Director, Ann Jones, made arrangements for a ten member Colonial Forge High School Drum Line to play at the entrance of the Community Center as the guests arrived. The guests were also greeted with a large welcome banner, which adorned the entrance way, a red carpet walk way and welcomed by members of the Navy JROTC, Falls Run Board of Directors, and Wall of Honor Committee. Committee Chair, and retired Air Force CMSgt Bob Brown, opened the proceedings promptly at 11:00AM followed by the invocation by retired Air Force Chaplain Lt Col Carl Hawkins and Presentation of the Colors by the Brooke Point JROTC Color Guard. Admiral Nosal was introduced by his father, retired Air Force CMSgt Bill Nosal. The Admiral’s talk centered on his experiences as an Air Force “brat”, the influence that had on his decision to attend the Naval Academy, and an update on the Navy. During a Q&A session one resident, referring to his decision to attend the Naval Academy instead of the Air Force Academy asked the Admiral, “Where did you go wrong?” The Falls Run Singers provided the patriotic music and a special tribute to our deceased veterans was performed by Bob Brown, Betsy Corcoran, and the chorus singing “Requiem for a Soldier”. During that performance the names of deceased Falls Run veterans were displayed on the large TV, a program developed by Dan Augustine. Loretta Selgelid and her loyal “volunteers” served a luncheon of finger sandwiches, salads and beverages highlighted by the patriotic room decorations and five traditional service cakes. The whole event, attended by over 200 residents and guests, was a great success, and favorable comments, from those in attendance, continued for weeks thereafter. A job well done by the Wall of Honor Committee: George Malhiot, Bob Gilbert, Bob Brown, Ann Jones, Loretta Selgelid, Don Shiffert, Shirley Sommer, David Zerby, Roberta Brady, Reinhard Ortmann, Dan Augustine, Thomas Eddy, Bob Busch, Karl Kabza, and Carl Hawkins.
In 2011 the Wall of Honor Committee hosted a first and special Memorial Day observance at the Center. The highlight of the program, which paid special tribute to World War II veterans, was the show “World War II, Words and Music” performed by Tom & Maggie Worsdale (who have performed several times at the center). During the performance Tom read personal letters, accounts, and famous quotes from those who took part in the war while Maggie sang songs of the era. The Falls Run Singers opened the program with music from various war eras. Committee member Karl Kabza MC’d the event which included a 50/50 drawing and refreshments after the show. The book “I Could Never Be So Lucky Again”, an autobiography by General James “Jimmy” Doolittle, and autographed by four of the Doolittle Raiders and donated by Ann Jones, Activities Director, was sold for $1.00 tickets, bringing in $220.00. The winning ticket went to John Renninger, who also received this year’s 69th Doolittle Reunion Program Booklet. We charged $5.00 for this event and had over 150 in attendance. We paid $400.00 for the show. It was a great observance.
For our 2011 (11-11-11) Veterans Day program, thanks to Dave and Joy Zerby, our first Coast Guard guest speaker was Captain Edward P. Nagle, USCG, Chief, Industrial Operations Division for Coast Guard Surface Forces Logistics Center. Captain Nagle drove from Norfolk to help us celebrate the observance. Another new JROTC unit, a Navy one from Stafford High School accepted our invite and provided the Color Guard, POW/MIA service hat ceremony, bugler, and meet and greet duties. Returning for a repeat welcoming performance at the Center entrance was the Colonial Forge High School Drum Line and they did a great job again helping to welcome our guests. – these high school youngsters continue to dazzle all of us with their spirit, attention to detail, and outstanding performances. The veterans and guests were further welcomed by members of the Board of Directors, Wall of Honor Committee members, and JROTC cadets. Committee Chair, and retired Air Force Chief Master Sergeant Bob Brown handled the MC duties and retired Air Force Chaplain Lt Col Carl Hawkins the invocation – they were both wondering if they could get into their uniforms one more year. The Activities Director, Ann Jones, presented a brief on Wreaths Across America – a program the Colonial Forge High School hooked up with to provide wreaths at the grave sites at Quantico. This year Wreaths Across America was providing wreaths for veterans graves at over 500 veterans cemeteries across the U.S. Ann has been taking requests from residents who would like to buy wreaths for local grave sites. Retired Air Force TSgt Dave Zerby did the honors of introducing his friend Captain Nagle as our guest speaker. Captain Nagle talked about his decision to join the Coast Guard and stated that he was in awe speaking to the honored guests of veterans in front of him. He talked about the mission of the Coast Guard and the changes he has seen in his 32 year career. The Falls Run Singers again did a terrific job providing the musical selections and Loretta and her crew followed through with a terrific selection of refreshments and the military cakes.
Special Thanks: In Jul Bob Chapin presented the committee with over 30 military baseball caps, 12 service flags, and various other military paraphernalia, to do with what we want. We decided to make the items available for donations prior to and after the Veterans Day program. Over $300.00 was collected and donated to Wreaths Across America. Prior to the day’s activities Dave Sluger presented to Bob Brown an American flag that flew over the nation’s capital in our honor. What a deal. Dave later donated two more U.S flags for the Center.