Veterans Day events planned this weekend in Mt. Pleasant and Lockridge

Mt. Pleasant and Lockridge will host Veterans Day observances this weekend.

Mt. Pleasant will have its event Sunday, Nov. 11, and Lockridge?s observance is Saturday, Nov. 10. Following is information on each.

Mt. Pleasant

Mt. Pleasant?s ceremony will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at Veterans Hall, 300 W. Monroe St. Traditionally, the event is at 11 a.m. but because the day falls on Sunday this year, the time has been changed to the afternoon so not to conflict with morning church services.

Dean King, Avenue of Flags chair and Henry County Honor Guard Commander, will be master of ceremonies. The Rev. Bob Dameron, a retired minister and WWII veteran and chaplain of the VFW Post #7641, will deliver the invocation and benediction.

A choral group from Mt. Pleasant Community High School will sing the national anthem.

All commanders or their representatives of the VFW, American Legion and AMVETS posts located in Henry County are invited to speak for two minutes. Those wishing to speak should make themselves known to the podium before 2 p.m.

Following the addresses, the Henry County Honor Guard will fire three volleys in honor of all veterans and taps will be sounded.

Names being added to the Veterans Memorial will be acknowledged.

The names include: Stanford A. Garrels, Navy; James Richard Albright, Army; Rex Lee Norton, Army; Francis D. Gillespie, Army; Elizabeth A. Hookom, Army; Joseph Kuntz, Marine Corps; Howard Edwin Long, Army; and Robert Jay Long, Army.

The additional eight names brings the total number of names listed on the memorial to 1,206.

Lockridge

Lockridge?s honor guard will meet at the Community Center at 7:45 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 10, and march to the cemetery. Raising of the flag and the singing of the national anthem (by those present) will be at 8 a.m.

The rifle team will fire a volley of rounds followed by the playing of ?Taps.?

Those present will then re-assemble at the Community Center. The program will begin at 8:45 a.m. Ray Chalmers, Jefferson County Veterans Affairs advocate, will be the guest speaker.

During the program there will be updates to the Lockridge Veterans Memorial, POW/MIA recognition, a moment of silence and updates for veterans.

Coffee, tea, juice and pastries will be served prior to the program.