Veterans Day Ceremony on Marco Island

Welcome Home! to Korean War-Era Veterans will be the theme of the annual Veterans Day ceremony at Veterans Community Park, which will be sponsored by American Legion Post 404 and the City of Marco Island.

Set for Saturday, November 11th at 11 AM to 12 PM, the ceremony honoring America’s service men and women will include a Special Tribute to Korean War-Era Veterans highlighted by a special City of Marco Island Proclamation recognizing all Korean War Era Veterans.

A keynote speech by Rep. Francis

Rooney III (R-Naples), along

with speeches by Collier County

Commissioner Donna Fiala and retired

U.S. Army Col. Charlette Roman,

who is a member of Marco Island City

Council and American Legion Post 404.

A review of the Korean War’s history

by Bill Duncan, chaplain of American

Legion Post 404 and a Vietnam War

Navy veteran.

An opening prayer by Charlie Purple,

a U.S. Navy Seabee during World War

II and a closing prayer by Mike Harris,

chaplain of U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary

Flotilla # 95, Marco Island.

A POW-MIA ceremony led by the

past commander of Marco Island’s

American Legion and VFW posts,

Lee Rubenstein, and Bill Horton,

commander American Legion Post 404.

A reading of the names of Marco

veterans who have passed away over

the last year by VFW Post 6370.

The ceremony will again be a blended

affair involving all four of the island’s military organizations: American Legion Post

404, VFW Post 6370, U.S. Coast Guard

Auxiliary Flotilla #95 and Marco Island’s

Civil Air Patrol squadron. Representatives

of each organization will comprise a color

guard bearing the flags of the four military

groups, while the American flag will be

carried by members of the city’s police and

fire-rescue departments. The color guard

will be led by U.S. Marine veteran Doug

Bartlett, commander of the Marco Island

Coast Guard Auxiliary.

The ceremony will also include:

The Pledge of Allegiance led by Cub

Scout Pack # 234, Marco Island.

“The National Anthem” and “America

the Beautiful” sung by Susan Doyle,

of Naples, followed by a fly-over by the

Civil Air Patrol squadron in a World

War II era plane.

Keith Dameron, vice president and

business development officer for

IBERIABANK, Collier County, serving

as master of ceremonies.

Patriotic music provided by DJ Steve

Reynolds and the playing of “Taps” by

Greg Gruesel of Marco Island Lutheran

Church.

A special, covered seating area for all

veterans and special VIP seating for the

Korean War-era vets and their spouses

will be provided.

The City of Marco Island will cover the cost for renting the tents and chairs that will be used for the ceremony, which, in the past, had been funded by the island’s veterans groups through public donations. IBERIABANK will underwrite all other expenses for the ceremony.

Vietnam War-era veterans were honored at the 2016 Veterans Day ceremony. This year’s event will honor the sacrifices of vets who served from January of 1950 to June of 1955, the Federal Government’s timeframe for the Korean War era.

“The Korean War is sometimes called the forgotten war,” notes Lee Rubenstein, past commander of Marco’s American Legion and the VFW posts. “No truce was ever signed and even today, the Korean peninsula is once again on the verge of North Korea trying to ignite another war. We remember and honor all veterans from all years. It’s especially important now as our Korean veterans are aging and they deserve to be thanked for their service 57 years later, Marco Island style.”

A large crowd is expected, so please arrive early. Bring lawn chairs, as seating is limited. Veterans Community Park is located at 901 Park Avenue, Marco Island.