COVINGTON, Ga. – Freedom has never been free.

That was the reminder given to hundreds in attendance during the American Legion Post 32 Veterans Day ceremony on Monday.. The ceremony has been a fixture in downtown Covington each Veterans Day on Nov. 11.

Following a presentation of our nation’s colors from the Covington Police Department and the Covington Fire Department, and the singing of the national anthem from Kay Piper, Post 32 commander Bobby Hamby gave a brief overview of Veterans Day and its significance.

Hamby also recalled the story of a Covington resident who was recently identified after being declared missing in action over 80 years ago.

Sgt. Henry Hanes Allen Jr. was officially identified earlier this year as one of ten veterans who were killed  on April 8, 1944 when their B-24H plane was shot down in Germany. Allen and the other nine crew members were declared missing for years, but were finally located near Salzwedel earlier this year.

Allen was originally born in Jackson, but later relocated to Covington where he graduated from Covington Public Schools. He attended North Georgia College when he enlisted in the Air Force in 1942.

According to Hamby, Allen’s mother was often asked if her son would ever return. She often responded that she was waiting for him to walk through the front door on any given day, keeping that hope until her death in 2003.

“We can only imagine how happy the reunion was when she was the one that walked through the gate to meet her son and her husband waiting for her,” Hamby said.

Allen was officially honored with a military salute accompanied with the ceremonial bugle call, “Taps.”

Just before the honoring of Allen, guest speaker Chris Haymore took to the podium to share his thoughts on Veterans Day. Haymore is a lifelong Newton County native who recently retired from Mansfield Elementary as principal. He is now the pastor at Wesley Methodist Church.

While not a veteran himself, Haymore said he has long recognized the importance of Veterans Day and the people who have made sacrifices for our country. He recalled the many ceremonies he held while as principal at Mansfield Elementary, teaching the students the importance of the holiday.

Haymore wanted those in attendance to remember that the veterans are not just a group, but that they are individuals as well.

“Today is a day for those students to see individuals, because we forget about them,” Haymore said. “It’s the individuals that fought these conflicts that served our country. They are our people. Our fathers. Our mothers. Grandfathers. Aunts and Uncles. They are individuals.”

When visiting Mansfield Elementary hours before the ceremony, Haymore asked the students if they would like to be a hero. Knowing the answer would be a resounding ‘yes,’ he detailed how our veterans fit the bill.

“There’s one thing that separates everyday people from heroes and it’s one thing,” Haymore said. “It’s the willingness to do what needs to be done when the time calls for it. Veterans show that.

Haymore concluded by continuing to instill the idea that freedom is a privilege. When he asked his history students the question “What is freedom?,” he said his students responded with “Freedom is the ability to do what you want to do.”

But Haymore defined it as something different.

“Freedom’s not the ability to do what you want to do,” Haymore said. “Freedom is the responsibility to do what you ought to do.”