Personally, I’ve never quite understood the idea of jumping out of a perfectly good airplane, but that didn’t stop me last week from celebrating the golden anniversary of the Golden Knights, the elite parachute team based at Fort Bragg.
Led by the Honorable Pete Geren, Secretary of the U.S. Army, and Lt. Col. Anthony Dill, Commander of the Golden Knights, about 2,000 people gathered at the base on Monday to mark the unit’s 50th year of service. Inclement weather forced the event indoors and called off a much-anticipated precision landing, but it remained a great day to commemorate one of our state’s finest military institutions.
Serving as exemplary ambassadors for the armed forces, the Golden Knights have performed their jaw-dropping demonstrations across our nation – including a jump-in at the State Veterans Nursing Home in Fayetteville – and around the globe. While many enjoy their land-on-a-dime stunts purely for the thrill of a great show, I see the training, dedication and professionalism form that foundation of the U.S. Army.
The men and women of the Golden Knights are more than just showmen; while their style may differ from their counterparts, their service and sacrifice is just as great. Nine members have been lost in combat, 25 more have died in the line of duty, and countless others have been injured in the name of protecting American freedom and values.
On behalf of the N.C. Division of Veterans Affairs, and all the North Carolina veterans whose selfless commitment we honor, I thank the Golden Knights for their remarkable achievements and wish them continued success in providing a positive message of service.