CELEBRATING OUR VETERANS

The Veterans Plaza in Atlanta was packed last Wednesday for the first annual Community Veterans Day Celebration. The event - sponsored by KAQC-TV, VFW Post 258, American Legion Post 5870 and Cass County Citizens Journal-Sun – featured music, free hotdogs and a variety of presentations.

Area businesses and organizations worked together to honor local veterans. Mayor Travis Ransom, wife Emily, and children Coyt, Anna and Lucy, were also honored, although they could not attend do to being quarantined. Ransom, who will be deploying to Afghanistan right after Thanksgiving, tested positive for COVID-19 on November 9. The program went on as scheduled, although the ceremonial passing of the gavel was not performed.

Local girl and boy scouts led the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance; the Atlanta High School Band performed the Military Medley and The Star Spangled Banner. Cody Howard, pastor of Church Under the Bridge and executive director of Mission Texarkana, started the ceremony with the invocation.

Students of Atlanta Primary School sang patriotic songs, under the direction of teacher Katherine Stubbs.

Veterans of each military branch and First Responders were recognized by Commander Chris McGee of American Legion Post 258. Cass County District Attorney Courtney Shelton spoke on “what not to say to a military wife.”

Queen City High School seniors Hannah Fitts and Claire Bates gave the history of Veterans Day and a reading of “I Am A Soldier”.

A highlight of the evening was the presentation of a plaque entitled “World War II Honor Roll” which contains the names of every Atlanta High School student that graduated early to defend our country. Tammie Duncan, Regent of the Lone Star Daughters of the American Revolution, State Curator of USD 1812, and Librarian of Mark Epperson, USD1812, relayed how her father had found the plaque in a pile of rubbish and salvaged it. This summer, as they were moving, the plaque was found. Tammie offered the plaque to Mayor Ransom, who enlisted Nancy Martin Coe, of 903 Artisans, to restore it. Together, they presented the plaque to the City of Atlanta, to be displayed in the Depot Museum once a space is designated.

To go along with the plaque, Atlanta Public Librarian Jackie Isenhower has created a computer program with a database of the veterans’ biographies. A tablet will be displayed with the plaque, and when a visitor clicks on a name, the short biography will play.

Regent Traci Jones of the Trammels Trace Chapter of DAR then presented a certificate to Commander McGee on behalf of the Sons of the American Revolution. The American Legion was commended for their work in the community.

The guest speaker of the evening was attorney Tony Buzbee who spoke of his experience as a Marine Captain in Iraq and Somalia, and shared memories of his veteran grandfather. Buzbee, an internationally known “super-lawyer” splits his time between his Houston home and The Antioch Ranch, just outside of Atlanta.

“This is like the most perfect thing in the United States, what we’re doing right here. This is what makes America great,” he said. “It’s okay to love your country – don’t let anyone tell you different.”

Speaking of Mayor Ransom, Buzbee said “he’s the epitome of the citizen soldier. I wish he were here. You guys have got a great mayor.”

The rest of the ceremony was devoted to sending Mayor Ransom off to his deployment with well wishes by several organizations. Kellie Cox of Atlanta Lions Club presented a basket full of coupons, certificates and items donated by local businesses to she and Courtney Sullivan, who helped put the event together.

Atlanta Primary Principal Donna Rice spoke of the Mayor’s dedication to the town’s schools and told the audience that she had delivered to his front door earlier in the day a present. Every student in Atlanta Primary and Elementary schools had made a card for the Mayor, thanking him for his service and wishing him good luck.

Former Boy Scout Troop 41 Scoutmaster Lee Stanley, next took to the podium to discuss the merits of an Eagle Scout, which Mayor Ransom is. “We know that scouting laid a foundation that you took into the military with you,” he said, addressing the camera.

Another highlight of the evening was our very own “Screaming Eagle” Major John Fox, reciting “The Soldiers Creed.” Major Fox survived three tours of Vietnam, one of them in 1968 during the TET Offensive. As a helicopter pilot in the 101 ^st Airborne Division he was shot down three times, and three times he saved his crew. For his efforts, he was awarded a total of 48 medals, one of them being the Distinguished Flying Cross.

The evening was wrapped up by a benediction by Rev. Wes Mills of First Baptist Church on Baker Street.

Atlanta Fabrication owner D.J. Harvey brought his concession stand grill and cooked hotdogs for the crowd before the event started. The food and free bottled water was donated by Brookshires, Crumps Grocery, Rabbit Patch, and Courtney Shelton.

The annual event will next be held November 11, 2021 at the Veterans Plaza in downtown Atlanta.