By Scott Perry

ELIZABETH CITY — More than a century after Corporal Seth E. Perry gave his life while carrying an urgent message across a fire-swept field in France, veterans, public officials, community organizations, and local residents gathered on the Pasquotank County Courthouse grounds Saturday, Sept. 26, to ensure that his sacrifice, and the sacrifices of generations of local veterans, are not forgotten.

American Legion Seth E. Perry Post 84 hosted the Seth E. Perry Day ceremony at the courthouse, where Perry is buried, before celebrating another milestone in the Post’s history: the dedication of its new home at 106 Knobbs Creek Drive.

For those unfamiliar with Perry’s story, the ceremony’s location carried special significance.

Perry was a native of Pasquotank County who served with Company K, 119th Infantry Regiment, 30th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, during World War I. On Sept. 29, 1918, during the fighting near Bellicourt, France, and the breach of Germany’s Hindenburg Line, part of Perry’s company was threatened by a counterattack.

A runner trying to carry orders from company headquarters was killed. Knowing what had happened to the first messenger, Perry volunteered to make the dangerous journey himself.

He didn’t make it back.

While crossing an open field under heavy enemy fire, Perry was mortally wounded. His extraordinary heroism earned him the posthumous Distinguished Service Cross, one of the nation’s highest decorations for valor. His citation was published in War Department General Orders No. 87 in 1919.

Saturday’s ceremony connected that history with the community Perry left behind.

The observance opened with a prayer by Pastor Jon Nettesheim, founding and senior pastor of Elizabeth City Baptist Church.

A United States Coast Guard Color Guard posted the colors, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance led by Bruce Simons.

Scott Scise, past commander of VFW Post 6060, then sang the National Anthem a cappella, delivering one of the ceremony’s memorable moments.

Scott Perry, commander of American Legion Post 84, welcomed those gathered and spoke about the importance of remembering not simply names and dates, but the people behind them and the responsibilities inherited by succeeding generations.

Pasquotank County Commissioner Jonathan Meads then read the proclamation recognizing Seth E. Perry Day.

The observance has roots extending beyond this year’s ceremony. Pasquotank County previously proclaimed Sept. 29, 2018, the 100th anniversary of Perry’s death as Seth E. Perry Day. Saturday’s gathering continued that effort to preserve Perry’s place in the history of Pasquotank County and northeastern North Carolina.

State Sen. Jerry R. Tillett read Perry’s Distinguished Service Cross citation, returning the ceremony to the events of Sept. 29, 1918: a young North Carolinian, an open field, heavy enemy fire, another runner already killed, and Perry’s decision to volunteer anyway.

North Carolina Rep. Bill Ward, who represents District 5, Camden, Gates, Hertford and Pasquotank counties, addressed the gathering on patriotism, community and the obligation to remember and support America’s veterans. Ward brought his own military background to those remarks. 

The keynote address was delivered by retired Army Col. Laurie Buckhout, a member of American Legion Post 40.

Buckhout brought to the courthouse a distinguished record of military and national service spanning decades. She served 26 years in the United States Army, holding assignments ranging from platoon-level leadership to the White House Communications Agency, the Joint Staff, and the Army Staff. As a battalion commander, she deployed more than 600 soldiers to Iraq, where her unit supported coalition operations throughout the theater. Her military decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Bronze Star, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, and multiple Meritorious Service Medals. She later served in senior federal cyber policy positions and taught courses on cyberspace operations and electronic warfare at institutions including the National Defense University and Marine Corps University.

Her presence also illustrated one of the morning’s central themes: military service does not end when a uniform is put away. The traditions represented by Perry and the World War I generation continue through veterans who return home, raise families, build businesses, participate in civic life, and continue serving their communities.

The ceremony then turned from remembrance to the future.

Pasquotank County Commissioner Sam Davis III formally dedicated the new home of American Legion Post 84.

For Post 84, Davis’ participation was particularly meaningful because of his longstanding involvement with the community and support for veterans and veterans’ issues. His dedication of the building symbolized the connection between county government, local citizens, and the veterans whose service the Post exists to honor.

The new Post home represents the culmination of approximately a decade of effort by Post 84 members. County records document an important step in that journey: in January 2024, Pasquotank County commissioners authorized the upset-bid process after Seth E. Perry American Legion Post 84 submitted an offer for county-owned property on Knobbs Creek Drive.

The new home therefore represents considerably more than a building. Post members envision it as a place where veterans can gather, history can be preserved, and civic and community organizations can meet. Plans for the facility have emphasized that it should serve the larger community as well as the Legion.

That idea is consistent with Post 84’s long presence in Elizabeth City. Historical city directories document Seth E. Perry Post No. 84 meeting at 213 N. Dyer Street in the 1940s and 1950s, continuing into the 1960s and well into the 2000s.

Saturday’s dedication, then, was not the beginning of Post 84’s story. It was the opening of its newest chapter.

The remembrance portion of the ceremony continued with the laying of three wreaths representing organizations committed to preserving the memory of those who served.

Bill Barber laid a wreath on behalf of the Albemarle Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution. Bob Green laid a wreath on behalf of American Legion Seth E. Perry Post 84, and Dan Serik laid a wreath on behalf of VFW Post 6060.

The three organizations standing together at Perry’s grave represented different generations and traditions of American service, from the Revolutionary generation remembered by the Sons of the American Revolution, to the veterans represented by the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars.

The VFW Post 6060 Honor Guard then rendered a 21-gun salute, followed by Taps, played by Dr. Douglas A. Jackson of Elizabeth City State University.

For a ceremony centered on a soldier killed 108 years ago, the sound of Taps on the courthouse grounds provided a fitting conclusion to the formal remembrance.

Post 84 also expressed special appreciation to the Patriot Guard Riders for providing the standing American flags that helped frame the ceremony, and to the Sons of the American Revolution for their participation.

Bill and Chris Barber provided a display of World War I-era weapons, giving attendees a tangible connection to the equipment and conditions familiar to soldiers of Perry’s generation.

The Post thanked Town South Church of Christ for providing refreshments for the event.

Music also played an important role throughout the observance. Post 84 expressed particular gratitude to Dan Simmons, Dr. Douglas Jackson, and the Elizabeth City Middle School Band, who provided period and patriotic music before, during, and after the ceremony.

The combination of young musicians, veterans, active-duty Coast Guardsmen, elected officials, historic organizations, and community members was especially appropriate for an observance devoted to carrying history from one generation to the next.

Post 84 itself carries Perry’s name for precisely that reason.

Corporal Seth E. Perry was not a general or a nationally famous commander. He was a local man serving with other North Carolinians in the 119th Infantry. When faced with a mission that had already cost another soldier his life, he volunteered.

More than a century later, his community still remembers.

His grave remains on the courthouse grounds in the heart of Elizabeth City. His name remains attached to American Legion Post 84. His Distinguished Service Cross citation records his actions near Bellicourt. And now, with the dedication of a permanent Post home on Knobbs Creek Drive, another piece of that legacy has been secured for future generations.

The ceremony on Sept. 26 therefore honored more than one soldier.

It honored the veterans who came before, those who continue to serve, the families who share the burden of military service, and a community that has chosen to remember one of its own.

For Seth E. Perry Post 84, the message of the day was clear: the names of those who served should not fade with time. Their stories must be told, their sacrifices remembered, and the responsibility for carrying those stories forward belongs to all of us.

Gallery — click to enlarge

Scott Perry is a local business leader, writer and historian.