Pinecrest Veterans Day event draws hundreds

Pinecrest Veterans Day event draws hundreds

On Saturday November 11 the Village of Pinecrest conducted its Veterans Day Commemoration at Veterans Wayside Park. Hundreds of people attended, including many veterans of past wars, other former military personnel and Gold Star Families.

Following the Pinecrest Police Department Honor Guard and the Pledge of Allegiance, Mayor Joseph M. Corradino welcomed everyone and thanked the attending veterans for their service, praising their courage and devotion to duty. He introduced Vice Mayor Doug Kraft and Councilmembers Cheri Ball, Anna Hochkammer and James E. McDonald.

Vice Mayor Kraft, an Air Force veteran himself, said, “My service days were the best days of my life. They were the highest points of my life and the lowest points of my life. We all fought for a united America, and I’d really like to see us get back to a united America.”

Anna Hochkammer said, “We’re here to honor the men and women who have the courage and spirit of self sacrifice to serve our country in times of war and peace. I really feel they embody the American spirit of service.”

James E. McDonald, who was not in the military but served in the FBI, said. “It’s truly an honor to be here among our veterans who served their country, because a strong military is important to this country. We live in difficult times and I’m hopeful that the difficult times are going to pass and that this country will be resilient as it always has been in the past and that we’ll come together as a people.”

Cheri Ball read a poem praising veterans as “the best on Earth.”

Girl Scout Troop 148 and Cub Scout Pack 941 as well as the Pinecrest Police Explorers helped with the ceremonies and the presentations of awards to the veterans, whose names were called one by one. Major Derrick Bowman of the Pinecrest Police Department was the guest speaker, and Nancy Auster, a Registered Nurse and member of the Department of Veterans Affairs, read the roll call of veterans.

Veterans from many areas around Miami-Dade County were present, including the Executive Board of American Legion Post 98 in Coral Gables.

After closing comments a picnic lunch of hamburgers and hot dogs was served. Besides recorded music, a medley of patriotic songs was played on the bagpipe by Youth Advisory Council member Scott Simmons of the Harp & Thistle Pipe Band.


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