Post 31 to host Veterans Day program
Colbert County Post 31 of the American Legion has announced plans for the annual observances of the upcoming Veteran’s Day, November 11. At 10:00 a parade will take place along Main Street in Tuscumbia ending at the Colbert County Courthouse where a program will be presented by the Post at 11:00. It will be followed by a barbecue meal provided by Mr. L.O. Bishop at the Church of Christ annex across the street from the Courthouse. The public is invited and encouraged to attend all events.
Veterans Day, previously known as Armistice Day, is a federal holiday observed annually on November 11, marking the formal end of World War I at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, when the Armistice with Germany went into effect. At the urging of major U.S. veteran organizations, the holiday was renamed Veterans Day in 1954. Veterans Day commemorates the service of all U.S. veterans.
The Veterans Day parade will line up at at 9:30 at Deshler High School. Participants are welcome. The parade will proceed south along Main St., turning west at Sixth Street, then north at Water Street to end at the Colbert County Courthouse. Grand marshal will be special guest Brigadier General Jeffery L. Newton (Retired), Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs in Montgomery, who will also be the keynote speaker for the program.
General Newton, in his current assignment, is responsible for the efficient operations of 63 Veterans Service Offices across the State of Alabama, 5 Veterans homes, and a State Veterans Memorial Cemetery. He has responsibility for the State’s GI Dependent Scholarship Program, of which the primary mission is to assist the nearly 400,000 Alabama Veterans, their families and survivors in receiving all benefits for which they are entitled from the state and federal government.
Prior to his current assignment, General Newton was Director of the Joint Staff of the Alabama National Guard responsible for joint military operations relating to State and National Emergencies. His forty-year military career with the United States Air Force and the Alabama Air National Guard included numerous overseas deployments with the 117th Air Refueling Wing located in Birmingham Al, supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, and Operation Noble Eagle. His major military awards include the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Air Force and Army Commendation Medals, and the Alabama Distinguished Service Medal. In November 2021, he was inducted into the United States Air Force’s Enlisted Heritage Hall- Wall of Achievers. He is a graduate of Samford University, and Auburn University.
Special music will be provided by members of the Colbert Heights High School Band, led by Mrs. Jill Kirk, along with Mr. Matt Burcham, vocalist.
The parade and the program are sponsored by American Legion Post 31. Doug Hargett is the commander. The Post Color Guard, under the direction of Lance Smith, will participate, advancing, posting, and retiring the colors. Taps will be by Paul Thompson. In the case of inclement weather the program will be moved to the Church of Christ annex. For more information: Richard Parker, 256-762-5950.
