BUFFALO, W.Va. (WOWK) – There are approximately 1,700 employees at the Toyota Manufacturing plant in Buffalo. Of those, more than 150 are veterans or active duty.
Thursday, the plant hosted a special ceremony for those employees where a “Wall of Honor” was unveiled. General Manager David Rossier says it was the employees who got together and decided to build it.
“You can’t help but look at this wall and look at what it represents and not be a little bit patriotic about the message that it’s sending,” Rossier said.
If the wall itself isn’t inspiring, the keynote speaker, former POW and Purple Heart recipient, Jessica Lynch, was.
“Perseverance. That’s where my message comes from when I do these talks,” Lynch said. “Just having that never-give-up attitude, I think, that’s what it’s all about.”
Years of perseverance line the wall, each name a lesson in history. The wall took about a year to design and build and now it’s a permanent way for people to recognize all of the branches of the military.
“The whole meaning behind the wall, that’s where it gets special,” Lynch said.
Six Toyota employees are currently deployed on active duty, each of their names and branch of service has a yellow ribbon – a reminder their coworkers want them home safely.
“We’re thinking about them and they’re being recognized by their team members even when they’re gone,” Rossier said.
The writing on the wall is in the memories of those who serve and at Toyota, those who serve are in the hearts of many.
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