The City of Grovetown continued to pay tribute to local veterans Saturday morning with a ceremony honoring those who served in the Vietnam War.
The city welcomed Vietnam veterans and their families at the Liberty Park Community Center in a special observance that Mayor Gary Jones, the Grovetown City Council and U.S. Representative Rick Allen attended.
The event was hosted by the city and organized with the Daughters of the American Revolution. Via DAR, a commemorative partner with the U.S. Department of Defense, the event was part of a national 50th Anniversary Vietnam War Commemoration.
“Grovetown being a military city, we only deem it appropriate to honor the veterans, particularly of that war, on the 50th anniversary,” said Jones. “We love our veterans and those that currently serve, so that’s why we stepped up.”
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The Augusta University Brass Quintet provided the musical accompaniments, including the National Anthem at the beginning of the ceremony and “God Bless America” at its conclusion.
Veterans were called by name individually to receive a certificate of honor printed with their name and rank, and a Vietnam Veteran lapel pin. The Army, Marines, Navy, Coast Guard and Air Force were each honored in sections. Some veterans had family members or friends accept their certificates on their behalf.
While the proceedings were coordinated and the day set aside to recognize those who served in the Vietnam War, Jones hopes to make this the inauguration of an annual celebration of servicemen and women, coinciding with Veterans Day. Mayor Pro Tem Eric Blair and council members Deborah Fisher and Ceretta Smith also all served in the military, a fact t hat Jones noted.
“We normally have a Military Day,” said Jones. “But we want to try to do something like a Military/Veterans Day, where we can do it altogether and recognize, people. And I think that’ll happen, we’ve got three veterans on the council.”
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering Columbia County with The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
