Our Veterans deserve a whole lot more than what we are offering

Keep reading because this is an idea that we have to make into a reality in our community.
Our military Veterans and current enlisted men and women deserve so much more than what we have been giving them. Each year on Memorial Day in May and Veterans Day in November, this community has a ceremony in front of the Seminole County Courthouse to honor and remember our brave sons and daughters fighting for and defending our freedoms. These ceremonies are emotionally moving and are always anticipated and welcomed by our community’s former and current military service personnel.
From the opening prayer and Pledge of Allegiance to the keynote speech to the laying of the wreath and the playing of Taps, these ceremonies contain the essential elements our deserving military men and women in attendance deserve.
For two years now I have been front and center at each of these ceremonies, surrounded for the most part by just the Veterans and their families. Each year as I stand there with a lump in my throat and tears streaming down my face, I am embarrassed by the fact that the vast majority of the people in this community are not there.
We need to change that and we need to change that this year on Veterans Day, Monday, November 11.
The Downtown Development Authority has ordered patriotic lamp post banners for Second Street and plans are to have those banners in place forming a red, white and blue avenue from Tennille Avenue to the Courthouse steps. Let’s take the DDA’s idea and run with it. Let’s have a parade.
The Donalsonville News and the Chamber of Commerce is in the process of sending letters of invitation to all churches to identify Veterans and current service personnel in their congregation and to arrange their parade transportation – golf carts, wagons, cars, etc.  All former and current military personnel will be invited, and if they are not a member of a local church, we will arrange transportation for them. The Donalsonville News will provide name and rank placards for each person in the parade and the entire community will be encouraged to line Second Street for the grand parade to the Veterans Day Ceremony.
The parade will start at 9:30 a.m. at the intersection of Tennille Avenue and Second Street, travel west on Second Street and end at the Courthouse for the 10:00 a.m. Veterans Day Ceremony.
Just thinking about this idea sends chills down my spine and I can only imagine how it will make our military heroes feel.
The quality of life we enjoy today in our community has been made possible by their efforts and this is just a small way for this community to thank them in a way they deserve.
Join the parade. For information on parade registration contact David Maxwell at the Donalsonville News at 229-524-2343 or Brenda Broome at the Chamber of Commerce at 229-524-2588.

Comments and impressions are welcomed and requested at david@donalsonvillenews.com