HONORING THOSE WHO SERVED
The Jones County Veterans Committee had its final scheduled meeting before the Jones County Veterans Appreciation Day event this month.
Committee Chairman Ret. Col. Richard Combs called the Oct. 19 meeting to order, and the focus began on the programs, post card invitations for veterans, layout and other details.
The Nov. 11 event will be the 23rd Annual Veterans Celebration and the program theme is “Honoring All Who Served.”
Committee member Anita Dockery said the post cards to veterans would be mailed two weeks prior to the Nov. 11 Veterans Appreciation Day event.
The post cards have information about starting time, registration and parking. The opening ceremony begins at 11 a.m. and the Veterans Walk line up starts at 10:45. The program is planned to be outside once again.
Dockery is also working on the programs and map of the layout for the different venues that will be at the veterans celebration. The Garden Club, Pilot Club, DAR and American Legion all have tables, which are in addition to the stage, registration table, service hats and military memorabilia, Hawke’s patriotic carvings tables and the Jones County Cruiser car show.
The registration for the Col. Allen Carr Memorial Race begins at 8:30 a.m. Nov. 11, and the race begins at 9 a.m. in the parking lot of the W.E. Knox Civic Center. Entry fee for the race prior to Oct. 27 was $25 and $30 the day of the race. Buddy Davis is the timekeeper and handles finish line management for the race.
Race coordinator Joy Carr said they are ready for runners. She said all 30 sponsor spaces on the shirts had been filled. Committee Treasurer Bonnie Duke said no one called upon had turned down the opportunity to be a race sponsor.
Committee member Bob Morgan said American Legion members are selling tickets for a chicken dinner served at the veterans event and tickets to win a Henry rifle that is donated by Gray Memorial.
Morgan said all the dinner tickets are presold, but tickets for the rifle raffle will be sold up to the 1 p.m. drawing on the day of the event. Tickets for the dinner are $10 each, and tickets for the raffle are $10 for one or $20 for three tickets.
Bonnie Duke said the committee has 475 hats in stock to be given out to veterans on the day of the event. Charlotte Hinson said she had good response from nearby recruiters and has a good amount of military related items to distribute to veterans.
Committee member Frank Duke said he has been in touch with Jones County High School JROTC Senior Army Instructor Capt. Michael McMillan and 20 cadets will be on hand to help with the event. He said he also spoke to Jones County Boy Scouts leaders and the scouts will also be involved.
More information about the event will be featured in a special Veterans section in next week’s edition.
