When the Flags Wave

By Blair Moore
Photos Contributed

On a crisp November morning, a sea of children in red, white and blue stretches across the lawn of Cahaba Elementary School, each face bright with anticipation. When the first vehicle of veterans rolls into view, the schoolyard erupts in cheers and song. Little hands wave flags with all their might; signs bob above the crowd, and the heroes drive past with windows down and smiles wide. This Veterans Day Parade is one of Trussville’s sweetest traditions.

For families like the Carrolls, where military service runs three generations deep, gestures like these mean the world. Mike Carroll, who served in the Alabama Air National Guard, vividly remembers the day he swore in his son, Chad Carroll.

“I had him raise his right hand and swear his allegiance to the United States,” Mike said. “When he joined, it was like watching him change from a child to a man overnight.”

That moment was part of a near-70-year legacy. Since 1955, there has always been a Carroll in the 117th Air Refueling Wing in Birmingham. Mike’s father, Hoyt Carroll, served there from 1955 to 1988. Mike followed, serving from 1980 to 2009. And Chad, now a logistics management specialist with the Wing, has carried that tradition forward since 2009, ensuring people and cargo make it across the globe. His service has taken him around the world, but his roots remain firmly in Trussville.

Chad takes pride in stepping into a story that began long before he was born.

“It’s very special knowing that they worked toward the same things that I’ve worked toward,” he said. “It’s a blessing each day to put on the uniform and know what I’m fighting for—to better our community and better our country.”

For Chad, an important part of wearing the uniform is making sure veterans are remembered at home. He helped start Trussville’s Veterans Committee and served on it for the past four years, where one of the earliest projects quickly became its most meaningful: bringing the Alabama Fallen Warriors Monument to town. This monument honors the 227 service members from Alabama who have been killed since 9/11.

“It is said that when a military member dies, they take two deaths,” Chad explained. “The first is when they’re killed. The second is when they’re forgotten. That’s what makes this monument so special—for families to see their loved one’s name and know their sacrifice lives on.”

Chad credits Mark Davis, who first envisioned the project, with setting the idea in motion. Once presented to the Trussville City Council, the community rallied behind it, raising the funds and breaking ground within two years. Since then, visitors have come from other states and even other countries. Gold Star families, especially, find comfort in the memorial.

“It gives them a sense that their soldier is still with them,” Chad said. “They see their name; they see their bust, and they know their story will not be forgotten.”

That truth carries deep meaning for people like Roy Williams, whose brother, Maj. Dwayne Williams, was killed in the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon.

“For me, the monument is far more than granite and bronze tributes,” Williams said. “It’s a place where names become stories and stories become legacies. It honors the courage and sacrifice of heroes like my brother, while reminding all of us that freedom comes at a profound cost.”

Through concerts and community support, Williams has been raising funds for a bronze bust of his brother, with plans to unveil it on Memorial Day 2026.

“Every ticket purchased and every donation made brings us closer to making this tribute a reality,” he said.

Standing at the Fallen Warriors Monument, Williams feels a connection that words can barely capture.

“It’s the one place close to home where I can honor Maj. Dwayne Williams, reflect on his sacrifice, and know that his story—and the stories of all our fallen heroes—will live on,” he said.

Chad also emphasizes that honoring service means remembering the families who serve alongside.

“It’s pretty easy for us when we deploy; we do our job. But we leave our families back home to take on all the responsibilities,” he said. “That’s one thing that gets missed a lot: the family’s sacrifice. Advocating for them, keeping them connected to veteran resources is just as important as honoring those who wore the uniform.”

Outside of Trussville, Chad also serves as president of the National Veterans Day Foundation, headquartered in Birmingham, the city where the holiday itself was born.

“Veterans Day actually started here,” Chad said. “This year marks the 78th anniversary of the parade and banquet. It began with Raymond Weeks, who pushed to expand Armistice Day beyond World War I and II. Thanks to him, we now have Veterans Day as we know it.”

Each November, Birmingham hosts the nation’s largest and longest-running Veterans Day parade, alongside a military banquet that draws veterans, families and supporters from across the country.

“It’s not just about ceremony,” Chad said. “It’s about making sure every veteran feels seen and remembered.”

With a degree in history from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Chad has spent years interviewing veterans. What struck him most was how many had never been asked to share their story.

“I’d sit down with veterans in their 70sand 80s, ask them about their career and their service, and they’d break down crying,” Chad recalled. “They’d tell me, ‘No one has ever asked me these questions before.’ That’s when I realized these stories are dying with them. We want to capture them, so our community remembers the sacrifices veterans and their families made.”

For Mike, honoring veterans is as much about the future as it is about the past. He often brings his grandchildren to the Alabama Fallen Warriors Monument, standing with them in front of the names and explaining what the memorial means.

“Kids are sponges,” he said. “If you let them see a flag and tell them what it represents, they’ll ask questions, and when they ask, you’ve got to be ready with answers.”

That lesson, he believes, belongs both in the classroom and at home. Mike encourages teachers and parents to weave stories of service into everyday life.

“Tell them about Pearl Harbor, our allies, why soldiers serve,” he said. “These aren’t just dates. They’re sacrifices that gave us freedom.”

That work is already underway. The American Legion Post and Veterans Committee purchased enough American flags for every classroom in Trussville City Schools. Then service members delivered them in uniform.

The committee has also partnered with Hewitt-Trussville athletics to create an annual military appreciation game. At last year’s football game, students honored veterans on video, military aircraft roared overhead during the national anthem and the stadium turned red, white and blue. This year, a “USA Night” is planned for Oct. 3 against Thompson High School, a tradition the committee hopes will continue for years to come.

Mike has personally experienced the power of small gestures of appreciation to service members. When he was deployed in Turkey during the holidays, a box arrived from an American classroom. Inside were letters, drawings and photos from children who wanted soldiers to know they were remembered. Even decades later, the memory still brings a catch to his voice.

“Little things like that mean the world when you’re far from home,” he said.

He believes families today can make the same impact by encouraging kids to draw pictures, write letters or even visit a VA hospital or retirement home.

“Just saying hello, letting a veteran know they’re appreciated, that’s huge,” Mike said. “Because when it comes from a child, you know it’s honest, and for someone who’s been through a lot, that kind of gratitude reminds them their sacrifices weren’t in vain.”

In Trussville, military appreciation is not reserved for a single day in November. It lives in parades and classrooms, in stone and bronze and in the lessons passed from grandfather to grandchild—a promise that veterans and their families will always be remembered and never forgotten.