Old Dominion Cotillion Salute to Veterans

Reston, VA – On Monday afternoon, November 11, the young women of the Old Dominion Cotillion (ODC) experienced the patriotism of an older generation, mostly military veterans. Approximately 80 senior men and women proudly sang the National Anthem; cheered “oorah!”during roll call (battle cry of the Marines); and reminisced about their careers in service. The occasion was a Veteran’s Day Ceremony held at Harmony at Chantilly, which is a senior living community in Herndon. The Ceremony was presented by American Legion Post 184 and led by Lieutenant Colonel David Womack, as well as by Mrs. Donna Pence, Post Chaplain, and Mr. Robert Martin, Post Sergeant-at-Arms. The National Anthem was sung by Christian Randolf, executive director of Harmony. The Pledge of Allegiance was led and “When God Created the Military Wife” was read by ODC members, Ainsley McCabe of Washington Liberty HS in Arlington and Mariana Pava of Loudoun County HS in Leesburg respectively. Refreshments, including an assortment of baked treats, were served during a slide presentation, both especially prepared by Old Dominion Cotillion.

Long before the Veterans Day Ceremony, the Old Dominion Cotillion (www.olddominioncotillion.org) has focused on preparing young ladies for adulthood with grace, poise and a sense of social responsibility. In addition to learning social graces, ODC girls participate in philanthropic activities to encourage social awareness and compassion for the needs of our community. This year ODC expanded its philanthropic reach by affiliating with Harmony at Chantilly. One of the members, Ellie McCabe, who is a post debutante and college student, proposed an idea to support senior citizens. Philanthropy Chair, Suzy Mulligan, had recently moved her aging mother into Harmony at Chantilly and suggested this community. Together, they identified opportunities and developed a plan to engage with the senior residents, including this week’s Veteran’s Day Ceremony and next month’s Hot Cocoa and Christmas Caroling.

The Veteran’s Day event was planned as an afternoon tea; however, it quickly evolved into a history project. Several ODC girls spent Saturday afternoons at Harmony interviewing resident veterans and listening to their stories. Snippets of these conversations were incorporated into the slideshow and presented after the Ceremony; however, all of the recordings – a total of 15 interviews and twice as many hours of content – will be submitted to the Library of Congress’ Veterans History Project (www.loc.gov/vets), which collects, preserves, and makes accessible the personal accounts of American war veterans so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand the realities of war. The impact of these interviews was very profound. The ODC girls learned firsthand stories from people who are, at least, three generations older and experienced a very different life – one without Internet, smart phones and IG. The Old Dominion Cotillion salutes these veterans, today and every day.