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ELKINS – The annual Veterans Day celebration hosted by American Legion Post 29 will take place Wednesday at the All-Veterans Memorial located at the corner of Harrison and Railroad Avenue.
The event is scheduled for 11 a.m. and will feature guest speaker Jonathan Schafler, along with other community leaders, including Elkins Mayor Jerry Marco.
“We are going to have a new addition this year with the Elkins Key Club leading us in the Pledge of Allegiance,” American Legion Post 29 Adjutant Mike Cardinal told The Inter-Mountain. “The kids from the Highland Adventist School will be there to help like they usually do and the West Virginia Highlanders will be there as well. We will lower the flags, do our speeches, and then raise the flags back up. After that we will do the presentations of the wreaths.”
Veterans Day is a United States federal holiday observed annually on Nov. 11 to honor all living and deceased military veterans who have served in the United States Armed Forces. Cardinal, who spent 30 years in the Navy, said Veterans Day is important to all of those who served in the military.
“I’ve seen and lost friends all over the world, and Veterans Day is a day to remember that we who survived carry the burden of those who didn’t come home,” Cardinal said. “Though people honor us for our service, which we really appreciate, it’s still a day for us to remember that we got home to a country that, for the most part, appreciates us.”
Schafler, this year’s guest speaker, is a retired Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve. Schafler served for more than 20 years in the Coast Guard Reserve, advancing from an enlisted service member to a commissioned officer.
“Jonathan is the only member we have that is Coast Guard at the American Legion in Elkins,” Cardinal said. “He’s an officer, he’s a career man, and we are excited to have him as our guest speaker.”
American Legion Post 29 will also host its annual Veterans Day Dinner on Nov. 14 at the Post 29 headquarters on Railroad Avenue. Veterans attending the dinner eat for free, while the public is also invited to take part in the event and honor veterans. There will be a fee for non-veterans attending and tickets are limited.
Major James Clevenger, of the National Guard, will be the guest speaker at the Post 29 Veterans Day Dinner. Doors will open at 6 p.m. for social hour and dinner will be served at 7 p.m. in Calain Hall.
There are also two Veterans Day events scheduled in Buckhannon on Saturday, including a Veterans Day Parade that is scheduled for 10 a.m. The parade will begin at the Gibson Library and make its way up Main Street before ending at Jawbone Park.
At the conclusion of the parade, there will be a ceremony to honor Veterans at the Park. The Buckhanon-Upshur Choir and Band will perform at the event, which will feature local community leaders and guest speaker Dr. Greenbriar Almond. There will also be an appreciation luncheon from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at VFW Post 3663.
In Barbour County, there will be a Veterans Day Parade held in downtown Belington at 11 a.m. on Wednesday. Immediately following the parade, there will be a free lunch for veterans at the VFW Post 410.