Local and state elected officials, along with a few hundred spectators, gathered on the edge of Lake Norman in Huntersville, NC to witness the release of a bald eagle on a beautiful July 4 morning. The release of the bald eagle (our national bird) not only commemorated Independence Day, but also served to honor North Carolina’s veterans and fallen service members who fought and sometimes gave the ultimate sacrifice for the freedom that Liberty experienced on the morning of July 4.
The keynote speaker at the event, which was attended by a number of veterans and active duty members of the military, was Col. Charles Dunn II of Pope Air Force Base. Col. Dunn spoke eloquently of the honor and sacrifice characteristic of all service members, and showed his immense respect for his fellow service men and women as he shared some of his personal experiences in working with them. Mayor John Woods of Davidson released the eagle, after which the Mayor offered some poignant remarks on the importance of the day and its particular relevance to him, the brother of a serviceman who gave his life during the Vietnam conflict.
The eagle, appropriately named Liberty, was brought to the Carolina Raptor Center on Memorial Day this year due to injuries suffered in a territorial dispute. The Center, also located in Huntersville, receives approximately 700 injured or orphaned raptors each year at its Jim Arthur Rehabilitation Center for treatment, and over the course of its existence has admitted over 11,000 injured and orphaned raptors. The Center’s further focus on education is reflected in its outreach to approximately 40,000 students each year.
