The Town of Wake Forest, in collaboration with local veterans’ organizations, is set to continue its tradition of honoring fallen service members with a flag-raising ceremony slated for next Monday at 11 a.m. This event, which marks the 59th in a series of memorial tributes, takes place in Centennial Plaza outside Town Hall. The ceremony was initially scheduled for April 7 but had to be postponed, the town cited inclement weather as the reason for the delay.
According to a statement from the Town of Wake Forest, this month’s service will honor the legacy of Bobby Gene Kemple, a veteran of the US Marine Corps. Kemple's contributions will be recognized through patriotic songs, laying of a memorial wreath, and hoisting of flags. The flag-raising will be conducted by the Wake Forest Fire Department Honor Guard, who will raise both the American flag, and the US Marine Corps flag in acknowledgement of Kemple's military service.
The ceremony extends an invitation to the Kemple family, who will have a special role in the solemn proceedings. These flag-raising ceremonies are a monthly occurrence, generally scheduled for the first Monday from April through October, designed to pay respect to deceased veterans from Wake Forest and their families. They are public events, offered at no cost, as a gesture of remembrance and gratitude.
Once raised, the two flags will adorn Centennial Plaza for the entire month of April. The American flag will eventually be presented to the Kemple family at the following month's service, scheduled for May 5. Personal mementos and photographs of Kemple will be exhibited during the next Monday ceremony and will subsequently be displayed in the Town Hall lobby, remaining there until the end of April.
