Millbrook honors veterans with ceremony and luncheon
Veteran’s Day is next Monday, November 11, but the City of Millbrook honored veterans today. The ceremony has been a tradition for more than a decade in Millbrook, and the Millbrook Men’s Club served their delicious homemade camp stew to veterans and their families as a small token of appreciation for their courageous and devoted service to our country.
Patriotism was in the air in Millbrook, as members of Trail Life and American Heritage Girls presented the colors and led veterans and local leaders in the pledge of allegiance. Mayor Al Kelley read a proclamation expressing the city’s appreciation for the sacrifices service members have made.
“It’s just a pleasure to honor these veterans and their spouses because their spouses have been through a whole lot. Also like I said earlier, it’s some thing we need to do every day not just once a year, but the city has been doing this for several years and its grown,” said Mayor Al Kelley.
Veteran Barbara Marshall-Coleman served in the Air Force for 25 years and says working all over the world was rewarding but tough. “We are far away from home. Some people have never been away from home. It’s hard to make friends sometimes. We are regular, ordinary families that are displaced and you get homesick, and it’s a growing process,” Marshall-Coleman said.
Marshall-Coleman says she grew as a person because of the lessons she learned while she served. “You can have a great career, you’re serving your country. You’re doing stuff that you never dreamed you would do,” said Marshall-Coleman.
Carol Bowman is a military spouse and an ambassador with the Millbrook Chamber of Commerce. “We need to honor their service and their sacrifice, and I love the veterans getting to be together and fellowship with each other You can hear them behind me talking and having a great time, and I think it’s important for them to get to see each other and support each other,” said Bowman.
“They fought so hard for that ability to do what we just did Tuesday to go and vote and elect the person that we think we need to vote for in each of those offices,” said Mayor Kelley.
A group from Tallassee called Quilters of Hope made a beautiful quilt that was given away at the ceremony to one lucky veteran.
