Retired Brigadier General Warren Lawrence never lets an opportunity to be respectful to our nation, according to Kristina Powers Aubry who worked with him at KRESA and on many projects for the Vicksburg Historical Society. When he discovered the need for a new flag pole at the Depot Museum, he sprang into action, she said.
“The old one was rusted and useless, so he devised a way to pay for a new one. He went to the two Vicksburg service clubs and requested $250 each to buy a collapsible one that would be easy to maintain. Right-Way-Rental was willing to sell the village a new flag pole at cost,” she said.
The best part of his genius was to get two World War II veterans from the Rotary and Lions clubs to be part of the dedication on Veteran’s Day this November. It turns out that Bob Merrill from the Lions Club and Richard Coppes from the Rotary Club both served in the Navy, so he recruited the two “old salts” to cut the ribbon.”
In the meantime, General Lawrence, a member of the Historical Society’s Board of Directors and the Historic Village committee, invited the presidents of the service clubs to research the names of their members who served in World War II to honor their devotion to the country. David Aubry from Rotary and Dave Reno from the Lions, went through the impressive list, only to discover that all of them were deceased except for the two standing with them to cut the ribbon.