Following breakfast, we convened in front of the Post Office to unveil the Middleburg
Hometown Heroes Banner Program. This initiative, spearheaded by Middleburg American
Legion Post 295 and made possible through the efforts of Mayor Bridge Littleton, the
Town Council, Town Staff Danny Davis and Will Moore, and Mr. Print of Middleburg, aims
to honor past and present Veterans who have dutifully served our great nation and
continued to make a positive impact on the Middleburg community.
During the ceremony, Franklin Payne was presented with a quilt of honor crafted by quilter
Mary Nickelson-Hill, daughter of a World War II veteran and mother of a veteran of
Operation Enduring Freedom. The quilt, measuring 60″ x 80″, was created using the Quilt
of Valor Patriotic Log Cabin template, featuring a patriotic design incorporating red, white,
and blue fabrics in a traditional log cabin pattern. The log cabin design symbolizes shelter,
with a bright middle panel signifying the path home for the Veteran.
We paid tribute to several individuals:
- Franklin Payne (WWII): Flight engineer in the Army Air Corps stationed in Nice,
France. - Charles “Jeep” Craun (WWII): Former Chevrolet salesman turned city force chief.
- David “Peaches” Lee (WWII): Middleburg Postmaster.
- John P. Moliere (Cuban Blockade; Vietnam): Founder and Past President of the
National Veteran Small Business Coalition. - Ollie “Buck” Thompson (Korean)
- John Randolph Embrey (Korean)
- Ron Embrey (Vietnam): Past Post 295 Commander
- Ricky Bell (Vietnam): Past Post 295 Commander / Past District 16 Vice
Commander
American Flags and poppies were distributed among the crowd. Royal British Legion Vice
Commander Stephen Carney emphasized the significance of poppies in the United
Kingdom, concluding with a reading of the poem “In Flanders Fields” by John McCrae.