City and county officials came together on Thursday to honor a man who spends much of his time working to honor others.
Every year, State Sen. Rusty Crowe provides the flags that fly at the War Memorial and Veterans Walk of Honor. When he showed up on Thursday to present new flags to the Elizabethton-Carter County Veterans Memorial and Walk of Honor Oversight Committee, he was surprised to find he himself was receiving something.
Elizabethton City Councilman Bill Carter, who serves as chairman of the Committee, and Carter County Mayor Leon Humphrey presented Crowe with tokens of appreciation from the City of Elizabethton and from Carter County thanking him for the work he does on behalf of the community’s veterans. Carter presented Crowe with a letter of thanks from the Committee and the city while Humphrey presented Crowe with a plaque from the county.
Crowe, who was an original member of the Veterans War Memorial Committee, has provided the flags for the War Memorial and Veterans Walk of Honor since Nov. 11, 2002, when the War Memorial was completed and dedicated.
“Senator Crowe, your unselfish participation in this endeavor makes our Memorial and Walk of Honor complete and reflects most positively on our community,” Carter said, adding Crowe has made the community “very proud” of his dedication to honoring veterans.
Humphrey also noted Crowe’s dedication to the veterans of the community.
“We thank you for your outstanding support, continuous dedication and countless contribution to the veterans of Carter County,” Humphrey said.
Crowe said he was surprised and humbled by the recognition from the city and the county.
“We don’t do these things to be recognized,” Crowe said. “The credit goes to the committee, to Deacon (Bowers), and the rest of the veterans who work to keep this at the forefront.
“The goal and purpose of this is to make sure our young people never forget the sacrifices of these men and women,” he added. “Their sacrifices are why we are free. The recognition should go to the veterans.”
The recognition for Crowe was organized by Deacon Bowers, one of the original members of the Veterans War Memorial Committee.
“We wanted to do this to thank him for all the support he gives to our veterans,” Bowers said, adding that in addition to the flags, Crowe does many other things to assist local veterans.