HANCOCK COUNTY – Veterans Day may not have been able to be celebrated to its fullest over the past couple years, but that’s done little to diminish county residents’ respect for those who served.
A number of celebrations are finally back, now that COVID-19 conditions have significantly improved, with a new parade joining the festivities as well.
Bob Workman, a U.S. Marine Corps Vietnam War veteran, the Hancock County veteran service officer and a member of the Greenfield Veterans Honor Guard, is involved in many of the events.
“It’s always really nice to have the public show us their appreciation for veterans,” he said. “It’s always good to honor them, and it’s really important to put that in front of the kids, I think, because they learn a little bit about why they’re all free.”
A Veterans Parade of Cars is slated for Friday afternoon. Veterans who want to participate should contact Darren Turner, JAG specialist at Greenfield-Central High School, at [email protected]. For those who want to be in the parade but can’t drive, the VFW has a bus, and those wishing to ride on it should contact Turner by Wednesday.
Vehicles will line up at 12:30 p.m. at the Hancock County Fairgrounds, 620 Apple St., Greenfield, for a 12:45 departure. The Greenfield Police Department will escort the parade south on Apple Street, west on Main Street, south on State Street, west on South Street to pass the Hancock County Veterans Park, north on Pennsylvania Street, west again on Main Street and north on Broadway to Greenfield-Central High School, 810 N. Broadway, where the Greenfield Fire Territory will raise its garrison American flag. People are encouraged to stand along the parade route and show their respect to the veterans.
After Greenfield-Central was unable to have in-person Veterans Day programs the past couple years, Turner said he wanted to add something special to the celebration. He respects the commitment military members make, he continued, adding his brother is a U.S. Army veteran and that a few of his deceased relatives were veterans as well.
“Everything you give up to go, whether you actually serve in a war or not, you’re giving up a lot of your time that you could be with family and loved ones, to go put your life in danger,” he said. “It’s important that they know that they’re appreciated for what they did, the time they served.”
The parade will arrive back at the high school in time for a reception for veterans with light refreshments at 1:30 p.m. in the school’s library. Attendees should use the building’s front entrance.
A program open to the public will be at 2:15 p.m. in the high school’s gymnasium. The keynote speaker is Brian Evans, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and outreach and partnerships manager for Indianapolis-based INvets, a nonprofit public/private partnership with the state of Indiana that works to attract, retain and cultivate the state’s veteran workforce.
Turner also encourages G-C alumni military veterans to email him their branch, years of service and photo of them serving for future programs.
“It’d be nice to make this an even larger program at some point, or do more with it,” he said. “Who knows where it could really go if people wanted to participate.”
Also on Friday Greenfield Central Junior High School will host a program for veterans at 2:30 p.m. The event will feature live music performed by the school’s choir and band, with a reception afterward for veteran guests and families.
The Greenfield Veterans Honor Guard is participating in programs honoring veterans at other Greenfield-Central schools starting on Thursday as well. One is at 8:30 a.m. at Eden Elementary School, 8185 Ind. 9, Greenfield. It’s open to veterans and Eden families. Parking is located off Ind. 9 and attendees may enter through Door 1.
Another is at 9:30 a.m. at Maxwell Intermediate School, 102 N. Main St., Maxwell. The public is welcome, and should park on the south side of the building and enter Door 1.
There will be a luncheon for Hancock County veterans and military members at 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Thursday at NineStar Connect, 2243 E. Main St., Greenfield, for the first 200 to RSVP to [email protected] or 317-727-1605.
Another Veterans Day program will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at Greenfield Intermediate School, 204 W. Park Ave., Greenfield. It’s open to veterans, who should enter through Door 10A.
Workman said programs at the schools will include the honor guard presenting the colors, bugling “Taps” and answering questions from students.
Programs continue on Friday at 8:30 a.m. at Harris Elementary School, 200 W. Park Ave., Greenfield. That event is open to veterans, who can park off Elm Street and enter Door 15.
J.B. Stephens Elementary School, 1331 N. Blue Road, Greenfield, is hosting a program at 9:30 a.m. that’s open to veterans, who should enter off Blue Road and through Door 2.
Weston Elementary School, 140 Polk St., Greenfield, will have its program at 10:30 a.m. around the flagpole in front of its building. Visitors may park in front of the building or on side streets. If inclement weather occurs, the program will move inside to the gym and guests may enter Door 7.
After that, there will be a soup and sandwich luncheon for veterans at the VFW, 529 Apple St., Greenfield.
Eastern Hancock High School is hosting a program Friday. A reception for veterans will be at 9 a.m., followed by a program for students and veterans at 10 a.m. featuring keynote speaker Lt. Col. Craig Wagoner, a retired U.S. Army helicopter pilot. Reserve a spot at 317-936-5595.
The EHHS music department will also host a Veterans Day Concert at 7 p.m. Friday in the school’s auditorium, with performances by the band and choir. The school is located at 10320 E. 250N., Charlottesville.
Misty Dobbins Rambis of Fortville is seeking donations for wreaths to be placed on veterans’ graves next month at the town’s Gravel Lawn Cemetery at Ind. 13 and West CR 1025S. Rambis is involved with Wreaths Across America, a nonprofit organization that distributes wreaths for placement on veterans’ graves. The organization is also participating in Giving Tuesday on Nov. 29, a global generosity movement.
Rambis said about 800 veterans are buried at Gravel Lawn Cemetery, including a bugler from the Civil War. Last year, enough funds were raised for 200 wreaths at the cemetery, and this year she hopes to raise enough to get a wreath for all 800.
She’s been involved with Wreaths Across America for about six years. Rambis has always placed wreaths on her family members’ headstones at Gravel Lawn Cemetery, and often walks around to look at other headstones there.
“I was just thinking how sad it was that there’s so many soldiers out there who obviously are so old that their families are passed away and can’t be out there decorating,” she said.
While watching a news story about decorating Arlington Cemetery, she learned about Wreaths Across America and later “adopted” Gravel Lawn Cemetery through the program.
Donations can be made at wreathsacrossamerica.org. The website’s menu includes a tool for searching for locations, and a search for “Gravel Lawn Cemetery” will direct donors to a sponsorship page.
A ceremony for the wreaths will be at noon on Dec. 17. Rambis welcomes volunteers to help with the event, who should arrive by 11 a.m.
