'Honor to the Soldier, and Sailor everywhere': Spotlight on service for Veterans Day

“There are a lot of times [veterans’] work for the country or their sacrifice is forgotten, and they deserve to be honored for their service to their country,” said David L. “Robbie” Robinson member of the American Legion, commander for Taylor County Post 12 and Mountaineer Boys State director.

Recognizing veterans has a profound effect on the younger generations, Robinson said.

“I know when some of these boys come to Boys State they don’t realize what a veteran goes through. We have ceremonies that explain that to them, and they come out with a different perspective when they leave,” he said.

“It is important for us to explain it to our youth because they aren’t getting that all of the time.”

Growing up in Grafton, veteran holidays are always celebrated, Robinson said.

“Veteran holidays are very important here, especially because we have the two national cemeteries here,” he said. “When Veterans Day came around when I was in school, we knew that we were going to be in a parade.”

Throughout the state, numerous ceremonies and events are held to honor the sacrifices of veterans, creating a greater understanding and appreciation of what their service truly means to many local communities in the area.

Harrison County will join in the celebration as the streets of downtown Clarksburg will fill for the annual Veterans Day Parade set to begin at noon on Monday, Nov. 11.

“The parade has over 45 participants this year and the ceremonies for the parade will start at 11:00 a.m. with the invocation, then the call to order, the presentation of the colors with the Harrison County Honor Guard ... then the pledge of allegiance,” said Ron Eagle, quartermaster of the Clarksburg VFW. “Afterwards we will be serving a free soup and bean and cornbread lunch open to the public.”

In the past, most of the high school bands around the county have participated in this parade.

This parade does a good job honoring the veterans, Eagle said.

“Those of us in the VFW served our nation in wartime and you always want to come back and feel appreciated,” he said. “So for us, (this parade) is a big thank you that the public can give us.”

The parade will begin at Sixth and Main Street and continue up Main to Second Street before heading back to Sixth Street on Pike Street.

Shinnston will also host its annual Veterans Day parade. The celebration begins at 11 a.m. this Monday in downtown.

“This is an annual event that we have every year, and we honor our parade marshals. When we honor them, they are all local people. We don’t go outside looking for popular people, and we honor all local soldiers and sailors,” said David Minor, president of the Shinnston Lions Club.

Turnout is always good “because the local people love our veterans,” Minor said.

“It is nice for veterans to know you are lining up the streets to support them,” he said. “After the parade, we usually have a program honoring our marshals with a free lunch.”

The whole community contributes, Minor said.

“It is a little bit of everybody. Some businesses, some individuals, there are certain clubs from certain schools and people make floats for veterans to ride on,” he said. “It is well-rounded with just a little bit of everything and everybody.”

It means a lot to see the community come and support the veterans and the parade, Minor said.

“It puts a smile on veteran’s faces because they know somebody that cares, and that is all you can get out of something like this,” he said. “People love their veterans here in Shinnston, West Virginia, and it is important to the veterans. We want to make these guys feel like heroes and honor them.”

It is very important to honor those currently and formerly in the armed forces, Minor said.

“The way I look at it as an old serviceman myself is we wouldn’t be free if it wasn’t for those guys who sacrificed,” he said. “They deserve to be honored, and everybody that has ever worn that uniform is a hero in my book. Some have given more than others, but if you have served the nation you are a hero.”

Grafton will also be hosting their Veterans Day parade this Monday, beginning at 5:30 p.m.

This annual event brings the entire community together to honor and show appreciation for their veterans, said parade chair Andrea Chambers.

“I just think it celebrates our veterans. We have a lot of kids here that make banners, they put ‘Thank you Veterans’ on them and they just ride in the parade,” she said. “They get to thank their grandpas, their dads, their uncles and aunts. I just think it gives them a sense of pride.”

Nowadays, veterans face many challenges that people may not realize, Chambers said.

“In my opinion, people have lost their patriotism in this country and a lot of veterans suffer for that,” she said.

The parade is very important to her for many reasons, Chambers said.

“I come from a long line of veterans, and I am a lifetime member of the VFW Auxiliary Post number 3081,” she said. “I believe this should be the second largest parade in our community next to the Memorial Day parade. We wouldn’t be able to live the way we do if we didn’t have our veterans and the sacrifices they made.”