ANNA MARIA – The city honored local veterans and their spouses with its Old Soldiers & Sailors Veterans Day parade and a post-parade recognition ceremony.
Returning after a one-year absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Thursday afternoon parade included marching bands, local veterans, military and first responder vehicles, vintage vehicles, elected officials, Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch volunteers, local businesses, a group of children from The Center of Anna Maria Island and more.
Led by a bagpiper, a Marine Corps color guard, “Uncle Sam” and parade marshals Cdr. Michael Riordan and Col. David Pate, the parade began at City Hall at 1 p.m. and traveled down Pine Avenue to City Pier Park. With crowds lining both sides of the street, a light rain began falling soon after the parade started but it quickly subsided and the parade finished under sunny skies.
“This is great,” Duncan Real Estate owner Darcie Duncan said as the parade passed by her office building.
The post-parade veterans ceremony at City Pier Park included Bishop Michael Garrison providing the prayer invocation, trumpeter Alan Evans performing Taps and the Lakewood Ranch High School band performing the National Anthem.
During the National Anthem, there was a military flyover featuring a bright yellow, World War II-era T-6 Texan airplane piloted by Jimmy Hayes – a type of plane used to train WWII fighter pilots.
During the ceremony, Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy, a U.S. Army veteran, called forward and recognized the spouses and significant others of those who served in the military. He then called forward and recognized the attending veterans according to the military branch in which they served.
The ceremony concluded with the Lakewood Ranch High School Marching Band performing Tribute to America and The Horse.
After the ceremony, Murphy said, “I think it was a tremendous success and way beyond my expectations. It was a great tribute to our country and our veterans and their spouses and significant others. Events like this bring us together as a community to celebrate one particular thing – the fact that people served our country. And the city staff did a fantastic job putting this event together.”
Following the ceremony, many folks wandered over to the Anna Maria Island Historical Museum for an ice cream social where Historical Society volunteers served up free ice cream provided by Tyler’s Gourmet Ice Cream in Cortez.
