The town of Flower Mound is inviting the community to its annual Veterans Day Ceremony, set for this weekend.
On Sunday, you’re invited to a picnic and ceremony honoring veterans in Flower Mound and beyond. The event will begin at 1 p.m. with hotdogs (cooked by the Summit Club of Flower Mound), cake, and lemonade. At 2 p.m., the ceremony will begin with local town and military speakers, a Veterans Review and performances by the Voices of Flower Mound choir and the Flower Mound Symphony Orchestra, according to a news release from the town of Flower Mound.
This year’s keynote speaker is Dwight Wayne Birdwell, who joined the United States Army in 1966. During his military career, Birdwell served in Korea and Vietnam, where he earned two Purple Hearts for combat injuries; two Silver Stars, the third highest military decoration; and a Bronze Star for meritorious service. Birdwell was discharged from the Army in 1968 with the rank of Specialist 5.
In 2022, Birdwell became the only Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma citizen who served in the Vietnam War to receive the Medal of Honor for his actions of bravery during the Tet Offensive attack on Tan Son Nhut Air Base on Jan. 31, 1968.
The ceremony isn’t Flower Mound’s only Veterans Day event. The 11th annual Veterans Day Relay Run, where veterans and their family members will follow a 32-mile course through Flower Mound, will take place on Nov. 11.
Each relay runner will run approximately one-to-two mile sections, commemorating U.S. veterans and their service by carrying the American flag. The course will start and end at the Flower Mound Community Activity Center.