11 Nov Veterans Day Events November 11, 2021
In honor of our local veterans, a number of Veterans Day events are taking place across the Tri-Cities region on Thursday.
Veterans Day is an annual holiday honoring military veterans with ceremonies typically held at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month — the official ending of World War I. President Woodrow Wilson first proclaimed the holiday in 1919, then called Armistice Day, to honor the veterans of that war. President Dwight Eisenhower expanded the holiday to include all veterans.
No matter where you live in the Tri-Cities, it will be only a short drive to a Veterans Day event. Here’s a list of some of the ceremonies taking place across our region.
• ABINGDON: The event will be held at Veterans Memorial Park at 11 a.m. on Thursday. The keynote speaker will be Col. John Bradley III USAF (Ret.). Bradley served in the Vietnam War, received the Distinguished Flying Cross in 1969, then worked his way up to wing commander before retiring after 29 years of service.
The ceremony will also include a procession from the Appalachian Highlanders Pipes & Drums and tree dedications in honor of six local veterans.
• ETSU: East Tennessee State University will honor veterans with a special ceremony at 11 a.m. on Wednesday in the Quad — a grassy area located between Brooks Gym and Gilbreath Hall. The keynote speaker will be U.S. Navy Captain Harry “Chuck” Hayes, a decorated veteran with more than three decades of service.
• GATE CITY: Gate City will host a Veterans Day celebration on Thursday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Grogan Park (150 Park Ave.). The event will include a patriotic ceremony followed by a hot dog lunch. The event is sponsored by Gate City Frontier and the town of Gate City.
• JOHNSON CITY: Kings Mountain Post 24 of the American Legion and the Daughters of the American Revolution will host a remembrance ceremony on Thursday. The 30-minute event will begin at 9 a.m. at the Doughboy statue in Memorial Park, which is at the intersection of East Main Street and 510 Bert St., across from the Municipal and Safety Building.
The ceremony will include presentations on the history of Arlington National Cemetery and the 100th anniversary of the dedication of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
There will also be a ceremony at 11 a.m. on Thursday at the Johnson City/Washington County Veterans Memorial (703 W. Main St.).
• KINGSPORT: The Tri-Cities Military Affairs Council is holding a Veterans Day event at the Kingsport Veterans Memorial at 11 a.m. on Thursday.
The guest speaker will be Bill Kilgore, the past national commander of AMVETS and a 39-year veteran of the U.S. Army, the Army National Guard and the Army Individual Ready Reserve.
• ROGERSVILLE: A ceremony will take place at 11 a.m. Thursday at the Hawkins County courthouse.
The guest speaker will be Command Sgt. Maj. Jeff Broyles, U.S. Army (Ret.), a 30-year veteran who served during Operations Just Cause, Desert Storm and Shield, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.