Nov. 6, 2003 – Veterans Day will be a two-day, three-island observance in the territory, with ceremonies scheduled Sunday afternoon on St. John, Tuesday morning on St. Croix and Tuesday afternoon on St. Thomas.
Sunday's activities, hosted by American Legion Viggo E. Sewer Post 131, will start with a parade in Cruz Bay scheduled to step off from the National Park Service bulwark at 1 p.m. and proceed to the bandstand. There, a program of tributes to veterans, including remarks by St. John Administrator Julien Harley, will follow.
The St. Croix ceremonies are to start at 9 a.m. Tuesday — which actually is Veterans Day — with a parade from Claude O .Markoe Elementary School along King Street to Buddhoe Park, where a program will be held. Parade participants are asked to assemble at 8:15 a.m.
On St. Thomas, a parade from Addelita Cancryn Junior High School along Veterans Drive to Emancipation Garden is to begin at 1:45 p.m. Tuesday. A program will follow in the park. Parade participants are asked to be at the school prior to 1:45 p.m.
Gov. Charles W. Turnbull, Delegate Donna M. Christensen and Senate President David Jones all are scheduled to speak at each of the ceremonies.
Lawrence A. Bastian, American Legion Commander, District 10, is the master of ceremonies for the St. Thomas program. U.S. Army Sgt. Janice R. Charles, veterans representative of the Office of Veterans Affairs, will conduct the St. Croix ceremony.
On St. Croix and St. Thomas, youngsters from Junior ROTC drum corps units, Civil Air Patrol, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Junior Fire Fighters and Seventh-day Adventist Pathfinders and drum corps will march in the parades. On St. John, members of the Civil Air Patrol, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, St. John Drill Team and the Seventh-day Adventist Pioneers will be marching.
The veterans organizations of St. Croix are concluding a three-year commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Korean War, Justin Harrigan, director of the V.I. Office of Veterans Affairs, said.
The weekend's events include a Veterans Day Recognition Ball on Saturday at Carambola Beach Resort. It's open to the public and tickets are $40; there'll be cocktails at 6 p.m. followed by a dinner and a program at 7 p.m. On Sunday at 10:15 a.m., a service honoring veterans will be held at Friedensberg Moravian Church in Frederiksted.
In his Veterans Day proclamation, Turnbull said: "I urge the people of the Virgin Islands to remember the sacrifices and contributions of all those who, when called upon to do so, served this nation honorably in wartime to preserve our heritage of peace as the most profound reward which we might bestow upon our veterans."
Informational expo set for both districts
A Veterans Benefits Expo sponsored by the federal and territorial Offices of Veterans Affairs will be held Saturday on St. Croix and a week later, on Nov. 15, on St. Thomas.
Saturday's event is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Education Complex High School on St. Croix.
The Nov. 15 event will be from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Sports and Fitness Center on the University of the Virgin Islands St. Thomas campus.
According to Harrigan, expo attendees will be able to obtain information about local and federal benefits available to veterans, their dependents and their survivors. Resource people will be available to discuss banking services; educational programs including the G.I. Bill; vocational rehabilitation services; and pension and compensation programs.
Back Talk
Share your reaction to this news with other Source readers. Please include headline, your name, and the city and state/country or island where you reside.
Publisher's note : Like the St. Thomas Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
