Beckley, WV (WOAY): “Every day we wake up in this country should be a celebration. And we have so many blessings. And Veterans Day is just an excuse to kind of revel in that celebration,” said Adjutant William Lewis of Beckley VFW Post 4469, in front of his post’s patriotic parade float. “Everybody I’ve been with has sacrificed a lot for this country. And today’s the day to kind of enjoy the fruits of that sacrifice.”
This Wednesday, hundreds gathered downtown for the Beckley Veterans Parade to honor local veterans and celebrate the freedoms we enjoy because of their sacrifices, both today and across generations.
“My dad and his eight younger brothers served, and in our family, we put in over 200 years in the military,” US Air Force and Coast Guard veteran John Almond touted. “And one of the things that was in the headline in the paper yesterday, I said my dad was drafted; he got his draft on the day I was born—or he took one look at me and joined—we don’t know which is which. But anyway, I am tickled to death to see the young people and the turnout for this… And I really appreciate our city. Our city is really into this.”
After a patriotic march through downtown, local high school bands continued the revelry as they performed their halftime music at the Beckley Intermodal Gateway. Majorette Molly Grass of the Woodrow Wilson High School Marching Band shared why her band’s performance was especially meaningful this Veterans Day:
“Well, I have a lot of veterans in my family. A lot of them served in the United States military. And it means a lot to me and it means a lot to see all these people come out and celebrate what it means to be an American and fight for our freedom every day, no matter whether you’re a veteran or not. It’s very special to me and close to my heart…make sure you thank your veterans in your life; they do a lot for us, and they’ve sacrificed a lot for our amazing country and for all the freedoms we enjoy every day.”
