Veterans Day Celebration to honor past and present service members
The public will have the chance to recognize U.S. military service members on Thursday.
Hosted by the Lee Coast Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America and the city of Sanibel, the Annual Veterans Day Celebration will take place on Nov. 11 at 10:55 a.m. at the flagpole outside of city hall. Prior to the program’s start, music will be performed beginning at 10:45 a.m.
“It’s to celebrate the veterans living and past who have served the country,” Fred Bondurant, a former president of the local chapter and an event organizer, said. “And to call attention to their service.”
Led by August Thoma, the BIG ARTS Concert Band will play before the program’s start.
“They’re going to be playing patriotic music like (John Philip) Sousa marches, ‘My Country, Tis of Thee’ and that kind of thing,” he said.
Boy Scout Troop and Cub Scout Pack 1740 will raise the flag at 11 a.m. with the Sanibel Police Department’s Honor Guard.
“The police honor guard kind of schools the scouts on how to do it properly,” Bondurant said. “They may let them do it as well as they can, and then they’re there to assist them in the actual raising.”
Sanibel Congregational United Church of Christ’s senior pastor, the Rev. Dr. John Danner, will give the invocation. Saint Michael & All Angels Episcopal Church, the Christian Science Church of Sanibel-Captiva, Bat Yam Temple of the Islands, Captiva Chapel by the Sea and others have done so in the past.
“We try to get a different religious representative every year,” he said.
Also every year, the chapter picks a special guest speaker for the celebration. This year it will be Sanibel-Captiva Rotary Club member and retired Army Lt. Col. William Harkey, of Sanibel.
“They may talk about what they learned from their time in the service or experiences they’ve had that they want to share,” Bondurant said of the topic, noting that the speakers select what they discuss.
“We had a POW one time from Vietnam. We had another fellow who was a Navy fighter pilot talk about his part in sinking the largest battleship ever built,” he said. “A rabbi spoke about what a chaplain does for military members.”
The winners of the Annual Veterans Day Essay Contest, hosted by the MOAA chapter and city’s Sanibel Recreation Center, will be recognized — one boy and one girl from grades 4-8 on the island. The subject for this year was “What is the difference between Veterans Day and Memorial Day?”
Bondurant reported that chapter member and retired Navy Cmdr. Doug Quelch began the contest. He types up and frames the essays for the winners, who then read them aloud during the celebration.
Bank of the Islands will present each youth with a $100 check.
As part of the celebration, Sanibel veterans who passed in the last year will be remembered.
“This year, unfortunately, we have six names,” he said. “Normally, we don’t have so many.”
Bondurant explained that their names will be read and some information about them shared.
Those in audience will also have the opportunity to speak.
“If a veteran would like to tell their story, or someone would like to remember their uncle or dad who served, then we let them do that,” he said.
The playing of “Taps” will conclude the celebration.
The community is encouraged to come out.
“It’s a chance to remember and recognize and honor those who have served and are serving,” Bondurant said, noting that Veterans Day is for all service members. “It’s kind of a feel-good thing.”
In other related news:
THE SANIBEL SCHOOL
The Sanibel School’s Music Department will present its Veteran’s Day Program “The Spirit of America!” for students and staff today, Nov. 10.
The program will feature the fourth- and fifth-grade students.
The live performance will be recorded and released by the end of the day for family, friends, veterans and actively serving military members to watch and enjoy until Nov. 12 at 11:59 p.m.
For more information, contact Music Director Joey Giangreco at josephag@leeschools.net.
EDISON AND FORD WINTER ESTATES
The Edison and Ford Winter Estates will offer free admission to U.S. veterans today, Nov. 11.
It includes a self-guided tour of the historic homes, gardens, laboratory and museum. Also, a five-piece brass band from Brass Music Elements will perform at the banyan tree from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Veterans must present a VA identification card or DD214 papers.
For more information, visit www.edisonford.org or call 239-334-7419.
The Edison and Ford Winter Estates is at 2350 McGregor Blvd., Fort Myers.
For more about the island Veterans Day Celebration, contact Bondurant at fred@thebrg.net
Sanibel City Hall is at 800 Dunlop Road, Sanibel.
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IF YOU GO
What
Annual Veterans Day Celebration
When
Nov. 11 at 10:55 a.m.; music starts at 10:45 a.m.
Where
Sanibel City Hall, 800 Dunlop Road, Sanibel
Details
Free and open to the public
To reach TIFFANY REPECKI / trepecki@breezenewspapers.com, please email