Veterans honored during ceremony
MEL TOADVINE The formal flag raising by the Honor Guard of the American Legion Post 323.
Denis Boland, a member of the American Legion Post 323 and national executive committeeman for the Department of Florida’s American Legion, said fewer than 10 percent of Americans are military veterans.
He spoke before a crowd of about 150 people during a Veterans Day ceremony held on Friday at the Veterans Park Recreational Center, at 55 Homestead Road.
Visitors stood under or near a huge tree to escape the warm rays of the sun.
“From defeating communism, fascism and imperialism, to keeping the peace during the Cold War and battling terrorism today, America owes a debt to her veterans that can never be repaid,”?Boland said,
The formal flag raising was conducted by the Honor Guard of the Post 323, while To the Color was performed by Post 323 member Dan Slazes and VFW Post 4174.
MEL TOADVINE One of the speakers for the Veterans Day ceremony, Dennis Boland.
“Ordinary people accomplish extraordinary things. Simply put, that is who veterans are, young and cold, rich and poor, black and white and nearly every category in between, they are men and women who serve or still serve America.
“You cannot fight a war without veterans and while the Utopian idea of a society without war is appealing, let us not forget that wars have liberated slaves, stopped genocide and toppled terrorists,” he said.
Boland was introduced by the Legion’s new commander, Robert Hewitt, who also presented a short history about the roles veterans have played in difficult times.
The well-known “In Flanders Field” poem was recited by Linda Hall, secretary of the Legion’s Auxiliary.
Other veterans who participated in the hour-long ceremony, which started at 11 a.m., included Legion Chaplain Ken Nerbak; Christian Rapp, first vice commander of the Legion’s Sons of the American Legion; and Teresa Morgan, president of the Legion Auxiliary.
Anne Cantafio, with the Legion Auxiliary’s executive board, offered a Veterans Day prayer.
Other guest speakers were Kim Van Pelt and John Dykhuis.
The “Armed Forces Medley” was played as veterans from the different branches stood up.
Andy Burkett, Southwest Area commander of the Department of Florida’s American Legion, spoke about what a veteran means today in America.
Before the benediction, the crowd sang “God Bless America.” The ceremony was followed by a rifle salute, “Taps” and the recalling of the colors.
Afterward, the attendees of the Veterans Day ceremony were invited back to the American Legion Post 323 for a meal.
-
- MEL TOADVINE One of the speakers for the Veterans Day ceremony, Dennis Boland.
Veterans honored during ceremony
MEL TOADVINE The formal flag raising by the Honor Guard of the American Legion Post 323.
Denis Boland, a member of the American Legion Post 323 and national executive committeeman for the Department of Florida’s American Legion, said fewer than 10 percent of Americans are military veterans.
He spoke before a crowd of about 150 people during a Veterans Day ceremony held on Friday at the Veterans Park Recreational Center, at 55 Homestead Road.
Visitors stood under or near a huge tree to escape the warm rays of the sun.
“From defeating communism, fascism and imperialism, to keeping the peace during the Cold War and battling terrorism today, America owes a debt to her veterans that can never be repaid,”?Boland said,
The formal flag raising was conducted by the Honor Guard of the Post 323, while To the Color was performed by Post 323 member Dan Slazes and VFW Post 4174.
MEL TOADVINE One of the speakers for the Veterans Day ceremony, Dennis Boland.
“Ordinary people accomplish extraordinary things. Simply put, that is who veterans are, young and cold, rich and poor, black and white and nearly every category in between, they are men and women who serve or still serve America.
“You cannot fight a war without veterans and while the Utopian idea of a society without war is appealing, let us not forget that wars have liberated slaves, stopped genocide and toppled terrorists,” he said.
Boland was introduced by the Legion’s new commander, Robert Hewitt, who also presented a short history about the roles veterans have played in difficult times.
The well-known “In Flanders Field” poem was recited by Linda Hall, secretary of the Legion’s Auxiliary.
Other veterans who participated in the hour-long ceremony, which started at 11 a.m., included Legion Chaplain Ken Nerbak; Christian Rapp, first vice commander of the Legion’s Sons of the American Legion; and Teresa Morgan, president of the Legion Auxiliary.
Anne Cantafio, with the Legion Auxiliary’s executive board, offered a Veterans Day prayer.
Other guest speakers were Kim Van Pelt and John Dykhuis.
The “Armed Forces Medley” was played as veterans from the different branches stood up.
Andy Burkett, Southwest Area commander of the Department of Florida’s American Legion, spoke about what a veteran means today in America.
Before the benediction, the crowd sang “God Bless America.” The ceremony was followed by a rifle salute, “Taps” and the recalling of the colors.
Afterward, the attendees of the Veterans Day ceremony were invited back to the American Legion Post 323 for a meal.
-
- MEL TOADVINE One of the speakers for the Veterans Day ceremony, Dennis Boland.
Veterans honored during ceremony
MEL TOADVINE The formal flag raising by the Honor Guard of the American Legion Post 323.
Denis Boland, a member of the American Legion Post 323 and national executive committeeman for the Department of Florida’s American Legion, said fewer than 10 percent of Americans are military veterans.
He spoke before a crowd of about 150 people during a Veterans Day ceremony held on Friday at the Veterans Park Recreational Center, at 55 Homestead Road.
Visitors stood under or near a huge tree to escape the warm rays of the sun.
“From defeating communism, fascism and imperialism, to keeping the peace during the Cold War and battling terrorism today, America owes a debt to her veterans that can never be repaid,”?Boland said,
The formal flag raising was conducted by the Honor Guard of the Post 323, while To the Color was performed by Post 323 member Dan Slazes and VFW Post 4174.
MEL TOADVINE One of the speakers for the Veterans Day ceremony, Dennis Boland.
“Ordinary people accomplish extraordinary things. Simply put, that is who veterans are, young and cold, rich and poor, black and white and nearly every category in between, they are men and women who serve or still serve America.
“You cannot fight a war without veterans and while the Utopian idea of a society without war is appealing, let us not forget that wars have liberated slaves, stopped genocide and toppled terrorists,” he said.
Boland was introduced by the Legion’s new commander, Robert Hewitt, who also presented a short history about the roles veterans have played in difficult times.
The well-known “In Flanders Field” poem was recited by Linda Hall, secretary of the Legion’s Auxiliary.
Other veterans who participated in the hour-long ceremony, which started at 11 a.m., included Legion Chaplain Ken Nerbak; Christian Rapp, first vice commander of the Legion’s Sons of the American Legion; and Teresa Morgan, president of the Legion Auxiliary.
Anne Cantafio, with the Legion Auxiliary’s executive board, offered a Veterans Day prayer.
Other guest speakers were Kim Van Pelt and John Dykhuis.
The “Armed Forces Medley” was played as veterans from the different branches stood up.
Andy Burkett, Southwest Area commander of the Department of Florida’s American Legion, spoke about what a veteran means today in America.
Before the benediction, the crowd sang “God Bless America.” The ceremony was followed by a rifle salute, “Taps” and the recalling of the colors.
Afterward, the attendees of the Veterans Day ceremony were invited back to the American Legion Post 323 for a meal.
-
- MEL TOADVINE One of the speakers for the Veterans Day ceremony, Dennis Boland.
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