The annual Veterans Day program included a memorial volley, a wreath laying and remarks recognizing the role veterans have played in shaping the state. Retired Command Sergeant Major Sylvester Tatum reminded the crowd that military service has long been intertwined with Mississippi’s history.
“Mississippi veterans served in every war since the foundation of our great state,” Tatum said.
The ceremony also highlighted the military service of civil rights icon Medgar Evers, who served in the U.S. Army during World War II. Spence Flatgard, president of the board of trustees for the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, said Evers’ service is central to understanding his legacy.
“Everybody knows he was a giant in the civil rights movement, but not a lot of people know that he was a World War II hero too, and that he was there at D-Day,” Flatgard said.
Evers’ daughter, Reena Evers-Everette, attended the ceremony, and said many Black veterans' experience in the war shaped the conviction they brought to their civil rights work.
“What drove them was saying, we know what we have been through here, Evers-Everette said. “We want better and we are fighting for all of the country plus the world to be in a field of freedom. Then the field is going to grow and it's going to come over to Mississippi.”
While Veterans Day brings ceremonies and public expressions of gratitude, many veterans say the most meaningful support happens throughout the year, long after the formal events end.
Air Force veteran Veta Jackson says public appreciation for veterans in Mississippi is common and meaningful, but the holiday carries more weight with the understanding of sacrifice that comes with military service.
“It has a totally different meaning when you've actually served, but you know just to receive that appreciation and to be able to understand that it's more than just what some people may see on the surface, it's just so impactful,” Jackson said.
Jackson volunteers with a church ministry that regularly visits the Jackson Veterans Home. She said many residents rarely receive visitors, so volunteering time can be much more meaningful than thanking someone for their service.
“A lot of them don't have family members who come to visit,” Jackson said. “A lot have family members and they just don't come visit. So, they just love to have somebody come to see them and to have that on a regular basis is so important.”
For Army veteran Jimmy James, Veterans Day also highlights ongoing needs for those transitioning back to civilian life. James served for 12 years, including deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan and struggled with anxiety, depression and job instability when he returned home.
“When I came back others saw stuff that was going on with me, but I did not,” James said. “So I was pretty much in like a denial stage where no, nothing is wrong with me. I am fine.”
James says the VA system relies on medicating first, rather than providing peer support, which he eventually found through a veterans' support group.
“It is mainly pills, pills, pills,” James said. “I get more help from that (VFA) group because that emotional support or listening to other people's stories, that is what really helps me a lot.”
Both Jackson and James encouraged Mississippians to honor veterans by spending time with them in their communities throughout the year.
