Just in time for the Fourth of July, airport officials unveiled a veteran’s memorial in the atrium of Hartsfield-Jackson Airport.
Surrounded by red, white and blue bunting, Mayor Kasim Reed and local veterans welcomed the marble Wall of Honor on Thursday, just two weeks before the one-year anniversary of the United Service Organization’s Hartsfield-Jackson office opening.
Mayor Reed said it was a “timely, well-deserved recognition” off all branches of the military, all over the world. The memorial is part of the airport’s larger “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Flying” campaign to celebrate Independence Day.
The occasion also provided a chance for airport interim general manager Roosevelt Council to discuss the airport’s plans for the holiday weekend. Hartsfield-Jackson has prided itself on reducing average TSA wait times to less than 20 minutes in recent weeks, but the spike in traffic could slow things down again. Council expects 81,000 people to go through the airport on July 1. Throughout the weekend, the total should be in the hundreds of thousands.
“While I can’t go into specific security measures, I can tell you we are in a state of hyper vigilance against threats,” Council said. “In the aftermath of Tuesday’s attacks, we are increasing the presence of law enforcement throughout the entire airport.”
Beyond security, Hartsfield-Jackson is attempting to contribute to passengers’ holiday experience. Volunteers will be passing out free patriotic treats, and musicians will be performing in each terminal, as well as the atrium, Council said.
Brigadier General C. David Turner, who spoke for the armed services being honored, said such an outpouring of patriotism was fitting for the airport.
“Hartsfield-Jackson is the first taste of America for many servicemen,” he said, recognizing the 2 million active military members who have come through the airport since 2002. When Turner returned from Afghanistan in 2012, Mayor Reed’s warm welcome banner was his first sign he was home.
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