GREENSBORO, N.C. — As many Americans prepare for the unofficial start of summer, a Greensboro man is getting ready for something else. Every year, the U.S. Marine veteran wears his full military uniform and stands at attention on Memorial Day.
"I just want everybody to know how important Memorial Day is. For a family that's lost someone in war, every day is Memorial Day," Skip Nix said.
Skip Nix has lived a full life of duty. At 18, he enlisted two weeks after graduating from Smith High School in Greensboro. He later joined the Greensboro Fire Department, where he moved up the ranks. He retired as an assistant chief after serving 35 years.
His devotion as a public servant continues in his golden years. After he retired in 2015, he started an annual tradition of saluting on Wendover Avenue on Memorial Day with his father's folded American flag in front of him.
"It doesn't take a lot of effort, but what it means to those who have lost loved ones and those who live in this country and get excited. I'm humbled by that," Skip Nix said.
Over the years, his patriotic act has reached far and wide.
"I've been contacted by folks in Japan, Australia, Spain, England, all over the United States," he said.
He's stood on the side of the road on Memorial Day for almost ten years, but something will be different this year.
"There's going to be a void there that hasn't been there in the past," Skip Nix explained.
That void is his nephew, Dale Nix. The Greensboro police sergeant was gunned down while trying to stop a crime at the Sheetz gas station in Colfax in late December. Sgt. Nix would park nearby to ensure his uncle was safe on the busy road.
"The military, law enforcement, firefighters, we call it "I've got your six... so when somebody says they've got your six, you know there's somebody behind you watching out for you... He was always behind me. He would never come out front. He would never speak to me; he was just there to cover my six," Skip Nix said.
While the guardian angel won't be there in person, he will be there in spirit with a new memorial sign that honors the fallen officer. Dale Nix will also be on his uncle's mind while he stands at attention on Memorial Day.
"I won't just be thinking of Dale; I will be thinking about the life he lived and not the life he lost," Skip Nix said.
At 67, with diabetes and a bad right shoulder, Skip Nix will take breaks, but his message is unwavering.
"The salute is the greatest sign of respect... we should never forget that freedom is not free."
Skip Nix will stand at attention from 10 a.m. to noon on Memorial Day at the corner of Wendover Avenue and Landview Drive, in front of Tripps restaurant. He plans to continue his yearly tradition until he's 70. After that, he hopes another veteran will take over the annual tribute.