Marco Assembles to Honor Veterans

On Thursday, November 11, the Marco Island American Legion Post 404 sponsored a hybrid event to honor the men and women who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in service to a grateful nation, as well as all those who served in uniform during peacetime and during conflict. The combination of the Memorial Day and Veterans Day services was hosted by the Marco Island Lutheran Church. According to Post 404 Commander Lee Rubenstein, this was the event that combined the ceremonies, as well as the first to be held indoors.

Due to the COVID pandemic over the last two years, the event was prevented from assembling a large crowd. Two months ago, the ongoing infrastructure improvements at Veterans Community Park caused the American Legion to seek out an alternate location.

Collier County Sheriff’s Office and Marco Island Police Department personnel participated in the age-old tradition, the Posting of the Colors.

On this day, the words “honor,” “courage” and “bravery” were not in short supply during the ceremony, which recognized the sacrifices made by those who defend our freedom during war and their posts during peacetime. 

Although every veteran is special, there were no more special attendees than the three surviving World War II veterans in attendance. John Basic, Don Mills and Bob Sargeant rose and were recognized. All three were members of both the Marco Island VFW Post and Post 404 of the American Legion.

From the invocation to the benediction, the room sat transfixed by the audio/visual presentations of the church staff, as well as the short presentations by selected speakers. Special presentations were made by both Police Chief Tracy Frazzano and Fire Chief Chris Byrne. They, and first responders throughout the nation, were recognized for securing the Homeland and providing citizens with a blanket of security while meeting the call to respond, as was witnessed during the attacks on 9-11 some 20 years ago.

There were no less than 400 people in attendance inside the church sanctuary, as well as others who stood in the hallway to listen to the Keynote Speaker, Captain Rich Hampton of the Collier County Sheriff’s Office. Hampton grew up on Marco Island and served in the United States Air Force, after signing up in 1990. He was called back into service in 2001 after 9-11, and was deployed with the 28th Bomb Wing, leaving a wife and two young children behind as he was part of the Noble Eagle Deployment.

“We are willing to pay the ultimate sacrifice for complete strangers because we are patriots,” said Hampton. “You can feel the patriotism in here and when I drove around the island, which was once my hometown,” continued Hampton.

“We need to have conversations with our children as to what it is to be a patriot. We don’t need social media to do that. We as veterans have that responsibility to do that and to explain what our veterans have done for our nation. The blood that has been spilled, not only for their safety but for the constitutional rights and their freedoms. Something that these three World War II veterans help provide for them,” concluded Hampton.

The Tommie Barfield Elementary 5th Grade Soli Group entertained the attendees with the song, “We are the World,” to the delight of all those in the room.

As the program closed, Craig Greusel, Choir Director for the Lutheran Church, led his group with renditions of “Let There Be Peace on Earth” and “America the Beautiful.”

Post 404 thanked the church for stepping forward and helping to make the program a great success, with a special thanks to Betsy Sabbides for her work in regard to the audio/visual presentations.