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VIDEO | GALLERY: Bulloch County honors Veterans with a Veterans Day Ceremony

Bulloch County Veterans and community members honored all veterans at the annual Veterans Day Ceremony at the Averitt Center for the Arts. Click on the picture to see video of the ceremony and pictures from the event.

The American Legion Dexter Allen Post 90 hosted the annual Veterans Day ceremony in the Emma Kelly theater at the Averitt Center for the Arts in downtown Statesboro.

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Jan Tankersley and other DAR members hosted a pre-reception. DeWayne Grice

The Archibald Bulloch Chapter, NSDAR hosted a pre-reception in the main gallery of the Averitt Center and proved attendees with coffee and doughnuts.  In addition, Isaac Sherrod provided thirty minutes of beautiful, patriotic piano music.

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Isaac Sherrod provided musical entertainment . DeWayne Grice

Bulloch County Sherriff's Office Honor Guard members including Corporal Aneshia Best, Captain Kenneth Thompson and Sergeant Andy Nay presented the Colors.  

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Veterans and community members attending the ceremony. DeWayne Grice

Lisa Muldrew led the audience in the National Anthem.

Each veteran who attended received a very special gift from students at Mattie Lively Elementary school.  The students hand made "Land of the free, because of the brave" bookmarks.  This was accompanied by a hand written note with a Poppy Seed pin.

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A handwritten note with a poppy seed pen made as a gift to veterans from children at Mattie Lively Elementary. DeWayne Grice

Post 90 Commander Gary Martin shared information about the American Legion's Be The One program which encourages veterans and community members to check in on their fellow veterans.

  • Be The One to ask veterans in your life how they are doing
  • Be The One to listen when a veteran needs to talk
  • Be The One to reach out when a veteran is struggling

CLICK HERE to learn more about the Be The One program.

Commander Martin then introduced veteran Ken Yasger as this years keynote speaker.  Now serving in the Georgia National Guard Yasger has been deployed to Afghanistan three times.

During his speech Yasger described two events in his life that provided him the inspiration to serve in the military.  The first was September 11, 2001.  Ken was 12 years old and remember being in the school lunchroom hearing about 9/11.  He recalled how his mother allowed him to watch the news when he got home showing the tragic events of that day.

The second was an opportunity to travel with his high school choir to perform at the 60th anniversary of D-Day in Normady, France.  Yasger reminded the citizens that veterans do not fight for political parties or politicians.  They fight for American's.  

"It seems like every election some politician says it is the most important election ever and that if they are not elected we will loose our country," said Ken Yasger.  "This will never happen as long as we have a strong military.  Our military will ensure we are never going to loose our country."  

He agrees that veterans do not get the recognition they deserve, especially Vietnam Veterans.  

"As American's we should remember that the most important political party is the American party.  The American flag and the freedoms it represents will outlive all of us," said Yasger.

After the program concluded, the American Legion Dexter Allen Post 90 hosted a picnic lunch for all who attended at their post on Rucker Lane.

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Archibald Bulloch Chapter, NSDAR members who helped with the pre-reception. DeWayne Grice

Live stream of the Veterans Day Ceremony

The Veteran's Day Ceremony was sponsored by Joiner Anderson Funeral Home and Crematory, Bulloch Memorial Gardens, the Averitt Center for the Arts and American Legion  Dexter Allen Post 90.