Congressional Medal of Honor winner to speak in Princeton
By Jack Stephens
Published in News on October 2, 2005 2:01 AM
PRINCETON -- Congressional Medal of Honor winner Walter J. "Joe" Marm of Fremont will be the guest speaker during the third annual Princeton Veterans Day Celebration.
Marm, a retired colonel and Vietnam veteran, will speak at 3 p.m. Nov. 5 at the bandstand in downtown Princeton.
Wayne Peedin, the assistant director of the N.C. Veterans Affairs Office, will serve as the master of ceremonies.
Another Vietnam veteran, Jesse Lewis, will be the grand marshal for the parade that will start at 2 p.m.
The Princeton High School band will perform after the parade at 2:45 p.m.
Veterans Day will begin at 6:30 a.m. when cooks start preparing chili for a cookoff. The finished products will be judged at 11:30 a.m., and chili sales will begin at noon.
The Princeton School contest winners will be announced at 9:45 a.m., and the winning ticket in a goat raffle will be pulled at 1:45 a.m.
Scheduled entertainers between 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on West Edwards Street include Ted Jones and the Tarheel Boys, singing cowboy Blake Price, Samantha Casey and the Bluegrass Jam, The Spirituals and Shout It Out. Comedian Al Cotter, better known as Cousin Brosy, will be the master of ceremonies. A group from Tippy Toes Dance Studio will perform on South Center Street.
During the day, concession stands will be open, arts and crafts will be displayed, Sparky the fire dog will visit, free blood pressure checks will be offered by the Princeton Rescue Squad, and the Princeton Fire Department and Johnston County Sheriff's Office will have displays.
The Veterans Day Committee and the Johnston County Heritage Center will host a display of memorabilia from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Community Building.
For those who get hungry, the Princeton Lions Club will serve a barbecue lunch starting at 11:30 a.m.
Committee Chairman Terri Sutton said proceeds from the celebration will be used to erect a memorial for Princeton veterans. The site has been narrowed down to two places.
More information on the celebration is available from the Princeton Veterans Day Committee at P.O. Box 514, Princeton, N.C. 27568, by phone at 919-936-3042, or on line at www.princetonveterans.org.