(MURFREESBORO) Rains stopped as residents started to arrive at the historic Rutherford County Courthouse for the 26th annual Veterans Day Memorial Service. Murfreesboro City Council member and retired Tennessee National Guardsman LTC Austin Maxwell with 28-years service, served as the emcee on Friday (11/11/2022). 

WGNS news spoke with Event Director Barbara Smith Pitto to see if there was a "rain plan". The weather service was reporting that rain from Hurricane Nicole would hit the area just before the program. The front was moving faster than expected, and the rain began around sunrise.

She noted, "Our troops fought in the rain and we were leaving it up to God." 

As the set-up was taking place, the steady drizzle stopped and stayed away for the entire event. 

Brian Morris, retired U.S. Navy, was the keynote speaker. He is also the executive director of the new Rutherford County Veteran Community Center at 439 Rice Street, adjacent to the County Archives Building.

He closed with a moving poem from William Whiting, an 1860 Anglican churchman.  

For years, whether two or twenty, these veterans stood the watch.

While some of us were in our bunks at night, these men and women stood the watch.

While some of us were in schools learning our trades, these soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines stood the watch.

Yes, even before some of us were born, the veterans who sit before us stood the watch. 

In those years, when the storm clouds of war were seen brewing on the horizon of history, they stood the watch.

Many times, they would cast their eyes ashore and see their family, standing there, needing their guidance and help, needing that hand to hold during those hard times, but they still stood the watch. They stood the watch for years.

They stood the watch so that we, our families and our fellow countrymen could sleep soundly and safely each and every night, knowing that they stood the watch.

Today, we are here to say—the watch stands relieved. Relieved by those you have trained, guided and led.

Fellow veterans—you stand relieved…others have the watch!

In the live broadcast over WGNS, it was mentioned that Elsie Stem quickly picked-up the gauntlet in 1996 and the first Veterans Day on the Murfreesboro square. A local veteran was putting the tribute together, but became very ill just before the first memorial service. Elsie coordinated Murfreesboro's Veterans Day activities for 15 years, ending with the 2011 salute. 

Myra Simmons coordinated Veterans Day for the seven years from 2012 to 2019. 

Each year, the event became more fine-tuned and focused on honoring veterans. Tennessee weather can go in many directions and the Veterans Day Memorial Service was a little over 40-minutes this year under the Direction of Barbara Smith Pitto. Her reign began in 2020, and now she stands the watch.