City Of Greer: DAR To Present First Freedom Lanterns To Local Veterans On November 22

Press release from :

November 11, 2021

The Joyce Scott Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) will honor local veterans on Nov. 22 at Victor Memorial Veterans Park. The public is invited to the ceremony, which will begin at 4 p.m.

In addition to a color guard, the program will include a new community project: the presentation of Freedom Lantern to local veterans.

DAR Chairperson Kathy Girouard said the Joyce Scott Chapter is undertaking the project “to recognize and thank Veterans in the Upstate” by presenting veterans with The Freedom Lantern.

Standing approximately two feet in height, the Freedom Lantern is created in the Blue Ridge mountains of North Carolina by a veteran-owned business. 

“It is made to honor our veterans, show respect and recognition for our heroes and demonstrate our appreciation and gratitude for their service,” Girouard said. “As an official symbol, it is not only an opportunity to give back and express our appreciation, but also a symbol of patriotism to be displayed with pride. It will become a family heirloom to be handed down for generations to come. The bronze lantern is designed with the imperishable values of ‘Land That We Love’ on one side and ‘God Bless America’ on the other side.”

The first veterans to be honored with Freedom Lanterns are Wilton Fowler and Bob Scherer, who served in the U.S. Army and the U.S. Air Force, respectively. Girouard said both men “have continued to support veterans and their families throughout the years.”

DAR is accepting nominations for future recipients and enlisting support from community sponsors, both businesses and personal. Nomination forms are available at The Greer Citizen office on Trade Street. Sponsorships allow the Joyce Scott Chapter to continue presenting the Freedom Lanterns as well as supporting numerous community projects. 

DAR is a nonprofit, nonpolitical volunteer women's service organization with more than 190,000 members in 3,000 chapters across the world. With more than 120 years of tradition, DAR performs a vast array of service work and has countless activities taking place locally, nationally and globally.