Lumbee Tribe Dedicates Veterans Memorial at Lumbee Tribe Housing Complex

Lumbee Tribe Dedicates Veterans Memorial at Lumbee Tribe Housing Complex

Pembroke, NC (November 10, 2023) -On Thursday, the Lumbee Tribe of NC held a ceremony to dedicate a Veterans Memorial at the Lumbee Tribe Housing Complex in Pembroke to honor all Veterans. Chairman John L. Lowery welcomed the Veterans to the memorial dedication. Lowery spoke of the high record of service of our Lumbee Veterans who have served in the military. “That service shows we are people who will stand up and fight. It also tells you about our warrior spirit and that we have a longing inside to protect what is ours; to protect our homeland and to protect our people,” said Lowery. “Today we are dedicating this memorial on behalf of those who have stood up and who have fought for us.”

Retired Major Terry Hunt spoke to the audience about the sacrifice of Veterans. Hunt also described how the monument itself mirrors the characteristics of Veterans. “Today we make our founding fathers and those who have gone before us proud,” said Hunt. “Today, our values stand safe because of the brave men and women who have been ready to face the fire. We thank God for each and every one of them.”

Vietnam Veteran Larry Townsend told the guest in attendance that Veterans Day is a day of solemn contemplation and a time to reflect about the cost of freedom. “We gather here today with a shared attitude of gratitude to honor all of our Veterans,” said Townsend. “It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died, but rather we should thank God that such men lived. We will never know them all, but one thing about it, we owe them all.”

Kathy Oxendine Hunt, Tribal Council Member for District 8, brought a photo of her deceased husband, J.D. Hunt, to the memorial dedication. Her husband J.D., who passed away in 2014, served in the Infantry in Vietnam from 1967 till 1969. J.D. and his two brothers served in the military at the same time. Hunt said her husband suffered from exposure to agent orange and severe PTSD. While holding back the tears, Hunt said he carried the pain about the Veterans treatment to his grave. “He said he was never recognized, but I said you would be recognized today,” said Hunt. “My husband always talked about when they came back into NY, he said people spit on them, and called them baby killers and he was never even recognized,” said Hunt. “It gave me a little bit of peace when Mr. Townsend talked about even though they are gone, the scars are still here. I understand that first- hand.”

Tribal Chairman John L. Lowery recognized both Terry Hunt and Larry Townsend with Eagle feathers for their service to their country, their Lumbee Tribal Nation as well as Lumbee Veterans.

The Lumbee Warriors Association also pinned and honored Tribal Chairman John L. Lowery, Director of Governmental Affairs Tammy Maynor and Tribal Administrator Ricky Harris with a Lumbee Warriors pin for their advocacy for Lumbee Veterans and for the Lumbee People.