Celebrating Our Community’s Veterans

 “As we express our gratitude we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them.” – John F. Kennedy

Once again, Vet Events Tally, known simply as “V.E.T. Inc.,” brought Tallahassee a joy filled Veterans Day Parade. Receiving help from Leon County, the City of Tallahassee, and countless other groups in our community, V.E.T. Inc. achieved its goal “to honor and respect those who are currently serving or who have served in our Nations Armed Forces.

This year’s Veterans Parade was a huge success. When asked by Tallahassee Reports (TR) what he thought of this year’s parade, Elbert Poppell, resident of Havana and 97-years-old Army veteran who served in both theaters of WWII, said, “It is one of the best in the world.”

At the parade, Tallahassee Reports interviewed retired Lieutenant, Reginald Williams, who served from 1989 to 2004 in the Navy flying helicopters

What does Veterans Day mean to you? Mr. Williams said, “Veterans day is a day to remember all the sacrifices that our men and women have had to make in order to make us safe, or at least feel safe, in this country and keep our democratic way of life.”

What should young people and civilians takeaway from Veterans Day? Mr. Williams said, “You don’t have to necessarily serve in the military to support the military. The sacrifices are what young folks and people who haven’t served should understand. It takes a lot to be away from your family and be where, what we use to say in the Navy, the pointy edge of the spear.”

How was your transition to civilian life? Mr. Williams said, “You have to get use to it. In the Navy or another branch, you have a certain regiment, things that you do; you don’t have to worry about picking out what you are going to wear each day. There were a lot of things in place that made life simple. So it was a transition going to regular civilian workforce where people stress out about things that really aren’t stressors. If you are not getting shot at or flying a helicopter at night in a sea state of three trying to land on a boat, life is not stressful.”

This year’s parade marks the 100-year anniversary of the end of WWI. Veterans Day began as “Armistice Day” in November 1919 to honor those who died in World War I. Today, it honors veterans from all wars.

Want to check out some of the participants in the parade, head to TallahasseeReports.com and search through our photos and videos from the event.

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