Greensboro Marine Kerry Achury, 25, honored President Jimmy Carter at his funeral and will serve at President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.
GREENSBORO, N.C. — Kerry Achury never imagined she’d wear the uniform of a U.S. Marine, let alone take part in two historic events within just two weeks.
At 25 years old and only two years into her Marine Corps service, the Greensboro native recently served as an honor guard for former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral and will soon participate in President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday.
“It’s truly a privilege to be part of those events,” Achury said. “Because where I come from, that doesn’t happen. You don’t get to be part of a president’s funeral or a president’s inauguration. So it’s truly an honor for me and I know as well for my family.”
Preparing for events of this magnitude is no small task. Achury said the Marines spent more than a year getting ready for the inauguration and didn’t waste a moment when news broke of President Carter’s passing.
“We had rehearsals all weekend at 5 a.m. at Fort Myer in the gymnasium,” she said. “We stayed there Sunday through Tuesday morning and rehearsed all day in that gym. It was maybe about 100 Marines.”
This year’s inauguration will stand out in history, as it’s being moved indoors for the first time due to safety concerns, creating additional challenges for the event organizers.
“So chaotic,” Achury said. “The inaugural committee has spent months or maybe a year planning it, and now in less than three days, they need to come up with another security plan and everything.”
Despite the challenges, Achury said she is proud to take part in both events.
“I can’t wait to be a part of it and especially to not only represent my family but to represent where I’m from—the Triad, Greensboro, my neighbors, my friends,” she said.
Achury won’t be the only one representing Greensboro during the inauguration. A group of Greensboro police officers will also be in Washington, D.C., to help with security for the big event.
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