By Mike Cosentino
Many see Memorial Day as the official kickoff to a summer of sand, surf, sunsets, and BBQs. That’s great, but those at Patriot’s Pier tend to see it as more of an opportunity for somber and grateful reflection and remembrance of those who paid for our freedoms with their service and their lives.
Local sand sculptors Brian Wigglesworth and Andy Daily on May 31 created a soldier presenting our nation’s flag to the family of a fallen brother. Special thanks to these guys, who regularly donate their time and talents toward patriotic sculptures at the pier.
Please join them and us on July 4. I’m excited to see what they come up with.
Special thanks to Tim Smith for singing the “Star Spangled Banner,” and to Mike Bear for playing taps on his trumpet. We appreciate the added flavor of having our local friends share their talents in support of our country and our troops.
On June 9, we also hosted a group of Special Forces troops from Fort Bragg. Wigglesworth carved out “Iron Mike,” an iconic sculpture at Fort Bragg and their special forces emblem.
Our boys came to meet and play golf with members of our business community. It’s part of an ongoing effort to facilitate their transition back to civilian life.
Please join us at 10 Beach Rd. for our nightly tribute to honor the sacrifices of our military and service personnel in defending our country and our freedoms. It’s a great opportunity, especially in these contentious times, to set our partisan differences aside and celebrate our common ground as citizens of these United States of America.
Our flag goes up daily to reveille at 8 a.m. and it’s lowered to taps nightly at sunset. The sunset ceremony can be seen nightly on our Facebook page, “Patriot’s Pier at Sunset Point.”
Author: Siesta Sand
- Tags: Fort Bragg, Mike Cosentino, Patriot's Pier