The Southern Pines Rotary Club's Memorial Day celebration began with member Jeff Gilbert, immediate past president, giving a presentation about his April 16 experience accompanying the "Flight of Honor" to Washington, D.C., to see the World War II Memorial.

The "Flight of Honor" honors the lives and courage of our World War II Veterans. They fly a charter from Greensboro to Washington and enjoy an extensive tour of the nation's capital. The return trip to Raleigh was delayed by two hours, but when it landed, there were more than 300 North Carolinians waiting to applaud and honor the veterans.

The keynote speaker at the Southern Pines Rotary Club was Leighton Warren "Snuffy" Smith Jr., retired four-star admiral in the United States Navy. Among his many accomplishments, he was commander-in-chief of the U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Allied Forces southern Europe, commanded the NATO enacted no-fly zone over the Bosnia and took on command of the NATO-led Implementation Force in Bosnia with the objective of overseeing the peace agreement. He held these positions until his retirement in 1996.

He spoke to the group on the universal involvement in the war by the people of the world and that less than 1 percent of the world's people are involved in the current war. He encouraged members to visit museums of war to honor the 16 million who served.

The Southern Pines Rotary Club meets every Friday for lunch at the Mid Pines Country Club in Southern Pines. Visit www.southernpinesrotary.org for information.