by Hanna Singh
In celebration of Veterans Day, the city of Ruston will host an “Honoring Our Heroes” ceremony to honor local heroes and their families. The event is set to take place on Wednesday, November 8, at 11:00 a.m. at the Ruston Sports Complex, located at 2001 Champions Way.
This patriotic gathering offers a chance for community members to recognize those who have served in the U.S. military and give back to them and their families.
The event will feature several traditional acts, including a wreath-laying and a POW recognition ceremony to honor those who were lost during service. Attendees can look forward to enjoying musical tributes from local schools, hearing from guest speaker, retired Colonel Tom Garza, and visiting veteran-oriented organizations and vendors. Veterans and their families will have the chance to learn valuable information from organizations providing services and resources for retired military members.
Louisiana Army National Guard, Sergeant First Class Chris Taylor shared his thoughts on how the ceremony will serve as a symbol of gratitude for those who have served.
“We live in the land of the free because of the brave. All of that is possible because of the brave men and women, who have sacrificed so much to preserve our freedoms and rights that we enjoy every day,” Taylor said. “It’s important that we never forget those individuals who have served, and those currently serving our country. The ceremony is about showing our appreciation for those individuals and their families in a small but important way. It’s an opportunity to educate our young students who are in attendance.”
In addition to the ceremony, local businesses will be showing their gratitude. Each veteran in attendance will receive a special goodie bag, packed with items donated by local businesses to say thank you for their service. Attendees will also be able to enjoy a complimentary meal provided by Karl Malone Toyota, Super1 Foods and Newk’s Eatery.
Louisiana Army National Guard, Staff Sergeant Angelica Woods described how the National Guard will contribute to the ceremony.
“We will be providing a truck display so that they can see how the military equipment has changed from the time that they were in service. We will also be providing goods for the goody bags along with other local businesses to show our appreciation,” Woods said. “We just want to show our gratitude for these veterans and give them something to look forward to.”
The “Honoring Our Heroes” ceremony is an opportunity for veterans to come together, reconnect, and learn about resources in their local area. The Ruston community can come together to show their gratitude for our veterans and participate in the celebration. Everyone is invited to come out, show support and make this Veterans Day a heartfelt occasion in Lincoln Parish.
