Gilmer County will be saluting its military veterans one day early this year.
Veterans Day is Saturday, Nov. 11, but the community Veterans Day parade, honorary program and other events will all be held Friday, Nov. 10. The parade and program are open to the public to attend.
The parade will begin at 10:30 a.m. along McCutchen Street, then head up North Main Street and through the downtown roundabout.
An honorary program with speakers and patriotic music will begin just after the parade has ended. A stage will be set up in front of the Gilmer County Courthouse and the whole roundabout will remain closed as it takes place.
It will be the first time since 2020 that these events have been held around the town square. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the parade was on hold and the honorary program was done at the Lions Club Fairgrounds.
Last year, a return to form and to the square was planned, but rain intervened causing the parade to be canceled and the program moved to the Gilmer High School Gym.
“We’re going to be back outside this year for the first time in quite a while, since COVID,” said Ret. Air Force SMSgt. Sam Burrell, Veterans Day event organizer and Lions Club member. “This year, we’ve got several singing groups that will be participating, and we’ll be having the Sheriff’s Department’s honor guard (also participating).”
The day will also include other events especially for veterans.
A complimentary breakfast at Ellijay First United Methodist Church, 75 McCutchen Street, will begin at 8:30 a.m. the morning of Nov. 10. A complimentary lunch for veterans and their family members or guests will be held at the Lions Club, 1729 South Main Street, immediately after the program on the square.
Burrell said the program’s guest speaker will be Ben Arp, a former superintendent of the Gilmer school system and a veteran of the Vietnam War.
“We’ve got a theme of Vietnam (this year). We’ve not had too many Vietnam veterans be guest speakers,” said Burrell.
Since 1989, there’s been some sort of Veterans Day event or program in Ellijay with involvement from the Lions Club, even during the pandemic, Burrell noted. Everybody’s looking forward to some normalcy returning this year with the event scheduled to return downtown, he added.
If weather intervenes again, the backup plan is to have the honorary program at the GHS Gym, and the lunch will go ahead as planned at the Lions Club.
“The long-range (forecast) looks good, so we’re hoping,” said Burrell.