Veterans and SALUTE! committee board members gather at G.I. Joes Military Living History Museum. Photo by Janet Sutton / Neuse News

By Janet Sutton

The 19th Annual SALUTE! Pre-Veterans Day celebration is changing things up a bit. They're inviting the public to join them in the parade on Saturday, Nov. 2 at 11 am on Herritage Street. It's free to participate and anyone and any veteran can show up by 10:30 am at the Hardees at the corner of Vernon and Herritage Street and be a part of the parade.

SALUTE! parade chairman, U.S. Army Ret. Sgt. Mjr. Donna Ramsey and the committee has been working diligently the last two months to add new attractions to the event.

"The difference this year is we want more community involvement because in the past it's been the veterans in the parade and the parade participants but we're trying to get families, children and everybody to come out and really support the veterans," Ramsey said. "We're also encouraging young people if they have a veteran family member that they would like to march with, whether a grandparent or a parent, aunt or uncle, anyone like that they can march with them," she said.

The parade will have 54 vehicles and 178 walking entries featuring military-style vehicles, slingshot cars, marching bands, a gospel music float, horse and carriage and more. The committee is also having a patriotic poster contest for school-aged children who attend the parade and hold up their sign along the route. The top three winners of the poster contest will receive a monetary prize and be selected following the parade at the Veterans ceremony held at Pearson Park 9/11 Memorial, where Ret. Col. Joel Eberly, U.S. Army and National Guard, will be the distinguished keynote speaker.

After the ceremony, musician Jeremy Lane will perform a park-side concert in honor of veterans. Lenoir County is home to more than 5,000 veterans and the SALUTE! committee is appreciative of the individuals and businesses who are there for them but unfortunately, attendance for veterans events has begun to dwindle over the years and it hasn't gone unnoticed.

"We're looking for a good size parade, we just need people on the street," Eric Cantu, veteran and SALUTE! board chairman said.

Eighty-four-year-old U.S. Navy Veteran Carlton Thigpen wants to see more people in attendance as well. The thought of two or three people standing on the street when someone's put a parade together for veterans is somewhat troubling.

"I don't like it but there's not much you can do about it," Thigpen said as he sat inside G.I. Joe’s Military Living History Museum. "I remember when you couldn't get down the street when they were watching the parade but things have changed."

Debbie Humphrey, SALUTE! board member expressed similar feelings. She's disappointed that more people don't support veterans but knows that groups like theirs need younger people and more volunteers.

"We're aging out," Humphrey said. "We really need some new blood in here, some younger blood that can carry on," she said.

Cantu agreed.

"It's hard for the new guys, I know cause they got families to raise, they got jobs to try to get, educations that they need to work on," he said. "But somewhere along the line they got a little bit of time, somewhere along the line, they can reach a hand out and help a veteran up," he said.

However, despite their age and obstacles that may arise, this group of veterans is steadily extending their reach by continuing to recognize their fellow veterans and their families with events and ceremonies. On Friday around 2 p.m. the annual Walk of Honor brick dedication ceremony will be held at Tiffany West Park on Herritage Street.

Later that night at 7 p.m. a free concert featuring the Pitt County Tar River Community Band will perform at the American Legion Post 43 on N. McLewean Street where a special ceremony will be held honoring a local veteran.

"It's imperative to the future of our country that our youth see the respect and honor shown to veterans who have put their life on the line for their freedoms," Cantu said.