Veterans Day is Monday, November 11, 2024, a day set aside each year on the eleventh day of the eleventh month to honor our veterans and to thank them for their years of service to our country.

We are a patriotic county, whose two veterans' organizations run strong with pride in their country and the military service these veterans have rendered the United States of America.  In addition, Glennville is home to the Georgia Veterans Memorial Cemetery (GVMC), one of only two in the State of Georgia.  We consider it a supreme honor that Tattnall County was selected for this cemetery. To date, 2608 have made this cemetery their final resting place.  (These include veterans, spouses, and dependents.)

Fewer and fewer WW II, Korean, and Vietnam veterans are alive today.  Last year at this time, the number was 2400 burials in the GVMC, so one can see an increase of over 200 each year.

For the past several years, a processional has been held recognizing and honoring these veterans' service and sacrifice to our country.  Once again, this will be the event to honor them on this Monday, November 11.  The processional will travel from the south end of the county and end in Reidsville.  (The route and details can be seen in a front-page story in this week's November 7 edition.)

These veterans, who include a few still living who served in World War II and the Korean War, have given unselfishly to keep us all free. We are the envy of those in other countries who do not have the rights, privilege, and way of life that most of us take for granted.  Freedom is not free, however, since many of these veterans gave a good part of their lives to serve in the military; many others never came home. While most of us had our fathers and mothers at home with us on a daily basis, many spouses and children went months without seeing their loved one.  Oftentimes, they would not even know if their soldier was safe.

If you have not watched this processional in the past, you have missed a blessing.  To see these students dressed in red, white, and blue and waving American flags will move you to tears.  They are so passionate in their waving and calling out to the veterans, thanking them for their service.  In turn, you can see how much these veterans appreciate these young people saluting them and honoring them for their service.
We live in the best country in the world.  Every time you encounter a military person in uniform, take a few minutes to thank the soldier for his/her service to our country....and for keeping it the land of the free and the home of the brave.