To my fellow Americans,

What are your plans for 11 November 2025? Are you going to show respect to those who provided you your valuable freedoms? Are you going to use the day to relax or do work around the house? Or are you going to find a way to thank those, to include their families, for providing us with our freedoms.

As ours is a military community, we have Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield (the home of the 3rd Infantry Division, 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, 160th Special Operations Group, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve and number other units), surrounding us here in Liberty County. We have Kings Bay Naval Base in Camden County, the 165th Air Reserve in Chatham County and over in South Carolina numerous Navy and Marine bases. And this does not count the Army Reserve, National Guard, Air Force Guard and Reserve, Navy and Marine Reserve units that call our area home, and do not forget all the recruiters who spend numerous hours working with those desiring to join the military, the ROTC and JROTC instructors who work on a daily basis with the high school students who show an interest in the military.

Now besides saying thanks for a job well done, why not come out to the numerous Veterans Day programs and parades which will occur on 11 November.

Contact your local city/county governments to find out what they have on tap for Veterans Day. I know that Savannah has a huge parade in the morning. Richmond Hill is hosting a Veterans Day ceremony also in the Morning, as is Hinesville’s VFW Post 6602. And East Liberty County American Legion Post 321 is hosting its 16th annual Veterans Day Parade in Hinesville starting at 4 p.m.

This parade in Hinesville started during a ceremony in Midway. Maj. Gen. Tony Coculo, then the commanding general of the 3rd ID, and then Fort Stewart garrison commander Col. Kevin Milton asked Post 321’s commander why there wasn’t a parade here in Liberty County. The post senior vice commander, Darryl Wooward, post adjutant Jeff Bowen and post commander Fitzgerald got busy and the first Veterans Day Parade was the Saturday before that year’s Veterans Day, as not to interfere with Savannahs Parade. However, following the Parade, numerous residents of the county asked the post to see if it could be scheduled for the afternoon of Veterans Day. Thus on 11 November 2010, it was moved to its present time of units lining up at 2 p.m. at Bradwell Institute and moving out promptly at 4 p.m.

Now for those interested in participating in the parade, please go to Facebook and search for American Legion Post 321 and you will find a Parade Entry Application. For those who want to watch this parade, please line the Hinesville parade route and cheer on those participating in the parade, 

Yours in Service,

 Dennis P. Fitzgerald, USA (Ret) Detachment of Ga, Sons of The American Legion (SAL),Senior Vice Commander