Nashville, TN – On Monday, November 2nd, 2020, the Tennessee National Guard celebrated the life of President James K. Polk in a wreath laying ceremony at the Tennessee State Capitol in honor of Polk’s 225th birthday.
Each year, a representative of the current President of the United States is responsible for placing a wreath on the tomb of past Presidents to honor them and their service on the day of their birth. Maj. Gen. Jeff Holmes, Tennessee’s Adjutant General, represented the President of the United States at the ceremony as Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and Mrs. Beth Sanders, the Past President for the James K. Polk Association, laid a wreath on Polk’s Tomb situated in the grounds of the Tennessee Capitol.
Prior to the wreath laying, Governor Lee spoke to the crowd gathered on the capitol grounds.
“[Polk] was a statesman, a leader, an exceptional Tennessean. He really was a part of the men and women who laid the groundwork for the nation that we have today and it’s these early founders and pioneers that are responsible for creating the greatest nation in the world,” said Lee.
James K. Polk was the 11th President of the United States from 1845 to 1849. During his presidency, Polk directed the country’s efforts in the Mexican-American War. When the war began, Polk issued a call for volunteers to fight. He asked for 2,600 soldiers from Tennessee, and 30,000 answered the call; establishing forever our reputation as the Volunteer State.
“It is truly a privilege to act as the President’s representative today,” said Holmes. “As an amateur historian, a student of military history, and lifelong Tennessean, I am truly honored to commemorate the man who contributed to Tennessee earning its proud nickname, ‘The Volunteer State.’”
The Tennessee National Guard also provided a color guard, trumpet player with the 129th Army Band who played taps, and Lt. Col. Paul Gunn, a Chaplain with the 118th Wing, who gave the benediction.
