The American Legion Post 44 will hold a Veterans Day ceremony in Ridgefield on Nov. 11 to honor those who have served in the armed forces.
Along with American Legion members, the Battle Ground High School JROTC, Boy Scouts, Young Marines and Ridgefield High School Choir will join the fray during the event.
“As in the past, our ceremony consists of Post 44,” said Post 44 vice adjutant Judith Wyatt. “Usually, we’ll do a march down from where all of our equipment is held. … We’ll do a color guard with the rifle squad and probably the Battle Ground Junior ROTC behind us and we will march to Overlook Park.”
Wyatt said kids from Ridgefield Elementary School will also be on hand to distribute cards and drawings to veterans and first responders. Major Mitchell Galloway will be the keynote speaker this year.
“He is a combat rescue officer, abbreviated CRO, and he’s currently assigned to the 304th rescue squadron out of the Portland Air National Guard,” Wyatt said. “He was part of the SERE program, which is the very elite group of men and women that go out and do the hard rescue(s), (like) people that are held in captivity and anything that’s really difficult where they have to parachute into places.”
She said Galloway is the flight commander of his squadron and his speech will in part focus on his duties.
Depending on the weather, Post 44 also plans to put up 300 American flags across the city of Ridgefield. Wyatt feels the event is important for the community.
“From my perspective, I think (the community) supports the veteran’s causes,” she said. “I think it draws home, especially in today’s world, how very important our military is, and for those who not only have served active duty, but those who served active duty during wartimes, putting their lives on the line. These are the folks who actually made it back.”
She noted that people sometimes confuse Veterans Day for Memorial Day. The former focuses on soldiers who returned from combat, while the latter pays respect to those who have died.
“It’s just a good time to show people that veterans, we do so much in the community. We serve others, we serve our community, we serve our youth, and I think it’s just important for folks to come out and see what we’re about, see that we’re here, we’re always ready to lend a hand not only to our veterans, but just to the community in general,” Wyatt said.
She said Post 44 is a “mainstay” on a patriotic level, as they always stand by the flag and the Constitution.
“We’re old now, but if we could, we would probably all go back in and serve our country again if we were allowed to,” Wyatt said.
She said the Battle Ground JROTC, under the direction of Col. Andrew Woodrow, will march alongside the Post 44 color guard.
The event will start at 10 a.m. on Nov. 11 at Overlook Park, which is located at 113-131 S. Main Ave. in Ridgefield.
