Royalty pay tribute to veterans on Memorial Day weekend

Special to Leader-Press

Five-year-old De’Ziyah Gilbert placed her hand over her heart as the national anthem played and the flag was raised to half-staff at the Harker Heights Memorial Day Ceremony. And, she gave her full attention to the wreath being laid to honor our nation’s veterans.
The reigning Little Miss Five Hills welcomed the opportunities to serve this Memorial Day weekend. 
“I knew both my mom and daddy were in the military, but mommy told me the difference between Veteran’s Day and Memorial Day.  This is why I chose my platform to help veterans because I want them to know that we care about them,” the pint-sized beauty queen said. 
Three wreath layings, a parade, luncheon and a motorcycle ride kept the Copperas Cove Five Hills royalty busy Memorial Day weekend paying tribute to our nation’s heroes.
Clad in red, white and blue, the titleholders waved American flags on the City of Copperas Cove float in the Harker Heights Memorial Day Parade as parade attendees cheered and waved to the city ambassadors on Saturday. Prior to the parade, the royalty went through the lineup of parade participants and shook hands with members of various veterans’ groups and thanked them for their service. 
As the daughter of an active-duty service member assigned to Fort Hood’s 1st Calvary Division, Teen Miss Five Hills Carleigh Ross understands the value of service. 
“Memorial Day is not just a day off. It’s the difference that lets each man and woman of service know that every effort to protect our country makes us that much safer,” Ross said. “My stepdad, who knows what it’s like to spend so much time overseas and away from the comfort of his family, can walk proud knowing that he is one those responsible for our flag still waving.”
Following the parade, the royalty attended the Harker Heights wreath laying event as well as the Copperas Cove VFW’s wreath laying event and the wreath laying event with the Star Group-Veterans Helping Veterans. 
As the daughter who mother and father are both military veterans, Junior Miss Five Hills Dorianna Gilbert said it is important to honor veterans on Memorial Day to let them know that we are happy they survived to tell the stories of the heroes we lost. 
“I’m happy my mom and dad were able to come home to us because I have friends that lost one of their parents fighting the war. The month and year I was born, my mom lost her cousin, Brock Chargers, to an explosion in 2009. My mom and her family share stories of my cousin. I was sad at the ceremony because I thought of him and how I would have felt if I lost my parents,” Gilbert said.   
The royalty also volunteered at the annual Freedom Ride to benefit the Patriot Guard. Sr. Ms. Five Hills Yolanda Brown’s daughter is an active-duty soldier assigned to Fort Hood. 
“Coming from a military family, I have seen first-hand the work of a soldier,” Brown said. “God Bless America and the soldiers that protect us.”