Join us at Veterans Freedom Park for a ceremony honoring America's veterans and their willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good. The ceremony will feature remarks from Cary Town Council, special guest speaker Colonel Bret Batdorff, and patriotic music from Old North State Brass Band. Attendees are invited to visit the Freedom Tower Monument at the park and partake in complimentary refreshments before and after the ceremony.
Parking: Event parking is available at Cary Academy, 1500 N Harrison Ave. A complimentary ADA accessible shuttle will be available from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Seating: Limited seating is available for attendees, but you are welcome and encouraged to bring lawn chairs.
Speaker: Colonel Bret Batdorff
Chief Circuit Judge, 2nd Judicial Circuit
Fort Liberty, NC
Colonel Batdorff grew up in Wake County, NC. He and his wife, Stefanie, graduated from Apex High School in Apex, NC. Colonel Batdorff earned his undergraduate degree from UNC-Chapel Hill and Juris Doctorate from Campbell University. Bret and Stefanie have been married for 27 years and have three children: John (23), Alex (21), and Reagan (18).
Colonel Batdorff's Army service began in July 1994. He first served as an enlisted Soldier in the North Carolina National Guard. As an active-duty Army family, they have been stationed in North Carolina, Virginia, Kansas, Texas, and Georgia. Colonel Batdorff has deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, and South Korea. He has served as Military Judge for 10 of the last 13 years. In that capacity, Judge Batdorff presides over criminal trials of Soldiers accused of crimes. He currently serves as the Chief Circuit Judge of the Army's Second Judicial Circuit, which comprises much of the southeastern United States. Since 2018, he has served as Chair of the joint service Benchbook Committee and Editor of the Military Judges' Benchbook (a publication similar to civilian jurisdictions' Pattern Jury Instructions).
Outside of work, the Batdorff household revolves around participating in church and community activities, and spending time at the NC coast. The Batdorff family is also involved in the 5-P Minus Society, an international support and advocacy group for persons, like their daughter Alex, with the genetic condition knows as "5-P Minus" (aka Cri du Chat Syndrome).
Field of Flags:
A special thank you to Veterans Bridge Home, their volunteers from Parexel, and Boy Scout Troop 200 for placing the Field of Flags in honor of those who have served in the armed forces for Veterans Day 2024. Veterans Bridge Home is an organization that works to connect veterans and their families, in any state of transition, to the community.
