Veteran’s Day celebrated at St Augustine Beach today

The City of St. Augustine Beach has invited all Historic City News readers to attend a celebration of our nation’s heroes from all American conflicts; both in times of peace and in times of war, the men and women who have served to make us free — our military veterans.

The Sunday afternoon event takes place in the Veteran’s Memorial Garden of the St Augustine Sculpture Garden at Lakeside Park, located behind the St Augustine Beach Police Station at 2300 A1A South, in Saint Augustine Beach.

You are invited to participate in the Veteran’s Day Ceremony today from 3:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. The activities will include moving guest speakers and refreshments offered free to the public. This will be a time for veterans and their families to join members of a grateful nation in a celebration of our freedoms.

• Pastor Walter West and Father Nick Marziani are donating their time for the ceremony.

• Kim Brown has donated her time to sing the national anthem.

• Vietnam War veteran, Michael Isam (United States Air Force, retired) will lead the audience in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.

• Sargent Major Ray Quinn will serve as Master of Ceremonies.

• Special guest speakers Sunday will be Bill Dudley and Florida Representative Paul Renner.

Dudley joined the U.S. Air Force in January 1955. Through the Air Force Officer Candidate School, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant. After completing flight training, he was transferred to Misawa AFB, Japan. Later, he was reassigned to the United States as a flight instructor of various military aircraft in an Air Force Reserve unit.

Representative Renner has served as a naval officer, both on active duty and in the reserves. He was recently mobilized to Afghanistan where he served with a Joint Task Force. Among his military awards, he received the Defense Meritorious Service Medal for service in Afghanistan, based, in part, on his “direct and significant contribution to the disruption of foreign facilitation networks [that] led to the capture or arrest of numerous key network leaders, delivering a considerable blow against the enemies of our Nation.” Earlier in his career, Paul also served in Operation Desert Storm during combat operations on board the USS McInerney (FFG-8).

We want to thank Sunset Grille for donating food and Winn-Dixie of St Augustine Beach for providing delicious cakes and drinks.