Community celebrates Veterans Day 2020
The first annual Community Veterans Day Celebration sponsored by KAQC-TV, American Legion Post 258, VFW Post 5870 and Cass County Citizens Journal-Sun will be held today at 5:30 p.m. in the Veteran’s Plaza of downtown Atlanta. The event is a result of a unified effort of community leaders and businesses coming together to celebrate our local heroes and Atlanta Mayor Travis Ransom, who is deploying to Afghanistan later this month.
The Atlanta Police Department will be closing East Street between Main and Hiram streets at 4:00 today so that crews may set up for the program. Designated social-distance seating will be available for elderly and disabled veterans on the plaza. Everyone else is asked to bring lawn chairs to set up on the sidewalks and East Street.
D.J. Harvey, owner of Atlanta Fabrication, will be cooking 500 hot dogs which will be free, along with a complimentary bottle of water, to anyone who shows up at 5:00. Members of American Legion Post 258 are in charge of the seating, lighting, sound and podium. They will also be selling raffle tickets for their first annual fundraiser.
The Atlanta High School Band, directed by Keith Sanders, and the Atlanta Primary School choir, directed by Katherine Stubbs, will provide patriotic music. Local Girl Scout Troop 2158, Boy Scout Troop 501 and Cub Scout Troop 312 will lead the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance. History students from Queen City High School will give a dramatic reading of “I Am A Soldier,” a poem written by the grandfather of their teacher, Karen Nettleton.
During the program, Tammie Duncan, Regent of the Lone Star Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), Nancy Coe of 903 Artisans, and Mayor Travis Ransom will be presenting a restored plaque listing all of the Atlanta High School students who graduated early or dropped out to fight in World War II. The Atlanta Chamber of Commerce will be accepting the gift to display in the Depot Museum.
Traci Jones, Regent of Trammels Trace Chapter of DAR will be presenting a certificate of appreciation to Commander Chris McGee of the American Legion. Commander McGee will also be recognizing the attending Veterans by branch and all First Responders.
The guest speaker for the event is Attorney and Veteran Marine Captain Tony Buzbee. Buzbee was born and raised in Cass County and is an alumnus of Queen City High School. He owns the Buzbee Law Firm in Houston and is internationally known as a “super lawyer” for representing clients against large corporations. He currently splits his time between his Houston home and the The Antioch Ranch in Cass County.
One of the highlights of the event will be a ceremonial passing of the gavel from Mayor Travis Ransom to Mayor Pro Tempore Dean McDuff, who will assume mayoral duties while Ransom is deployed. The 23-year Army Reserves veteran will be the Battalion Command Sergeant Major of the 321st Expeditionary Military Intelligence Battalion in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel (OFS). OFS is part of a NATO mission that conducts counterterrorism operations targeting terrorist groups like al Qaeda and the local ISIS affiliate. Ransom expects to spend up to nine months overseas.
“This is an historic time to deploy as we face uncertainty around the globe,” Ransom said. “Deploying in the middle of a pandemic, during a presidential election, and while peace talks with the Taliban are ongoing, adds additional complexity to the mission. One thing that is certain is that the American Soldier is ready to go when the nation requires it, and to get the job done with professionalism, despite external influences.”