Gadsden County leaders, veterans, and the general public gathered on the Gadsden County Courthouse square on Friday, November 10 to honor the veterans who served our country.
While Veteran’s Day is held on November 11, it was publicly observed on the Friday before, as November 11 falls on a Saturday this year.
Beginning at 11 a.m. with the National Anthem, the event featured several speeches, including guest speaker Charles F. Salem, a retired United States Army First Sergeant.
All five commissioners from the Gadsden County Board of Commissioners were present for the event, and all addressed the crowd regarding the importance of the sacrifices made by veterans.
“Veterans, we can’t say thank you enough,” said Board Chair and District 3 Commissioner Kimblin NeSmith. “So we salute you, we honor you, we thank you for keeping us safe, for watching over our children as we sleep, and always being on call to make sure we can grow up and be the very best residents and citizens of this great nation.”
“My grandfather was in World War 2,” said Vice Chair and District 1 Commissioner Eric Hinson. “I’m thankful that he was able to serve the country. My brother also was in the Navy as well. We really thank you guys for your hard work and dedication to the community.”
“We do need to know about your services, because we don’t hear that much from you,” said District 4 Commissioner Brenda Holt. “Which evidently means the VA [Veterans Affairs] is doing a good job, but we could always be improving those services.”
District 2 Commissioner Alonzetta Simpkins encouraged everyone to look to a veteran when seeking true humility and true selflessness.
District 5 Commissioner Ronterious Green expressed his appreciation
“If there is anything we can do as a board to make things easier for you, please make sure you let us know,” Green said. “I don’t have many regrets in life, but one of the things I regret not doing is going into the military.”
Following the ceremony, attendees were invited to enjoy free food, drinks, and door prizes.
Stephen Klein – Gadsden County News Service