The American Legion hosted its annual Changing of the Flags ceremony at Eagle Park on Turner’s Pond on Friday, July 4, drawing community members for a morning of remembrance and patriotic tribute.
Paul Kitchens served as the event’s guest speaker, sharing reflections from his recent visit to Normandy, France, where he attended the 81st anniversary of the D-Day invasion in May. Kitchens, a member of the Minden Lions Club, traveled to the event with two fellow veterans. While there, the group attended a commemorative ceremony featuring Lt. General Antonio Aguto Jr. as the keynote speaker and received reserved seating and recognition on the ceremonial platform.
Kitchens described the emotional experience of visiting the Normandy American Cemetery, where 9,387 U.S. service members are buried. “There wasn’t a dry eye in the house,” he said. He also spoke of the Niland brothers, whose story inspired Saving Private Ryan, and the scale of loss during the Normandy campaign, noting that 206,000 Americans died between June 6 and August 25, 1944—approximately 10% of the two million U.S. troops who landed.
Cayla Cox led the Pledge of Allegiance, and Pastor Bill Crider offered prayers during the ceremony. Mike Holomon performed Taps, and Les and Sue Williams of VFW Post #2885 placed a memorial wreath in honor of fallen soldiers.
The event remains a longstanding tradition for the Minden community, offering residents an opportunity to remember the cost of freedom and reflect on the service of the nation’s armed forces.
