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Anytime Veterans of different branches get together, there is banter that includes which branch is tougher or which one has it the most comfortable. Sounds of “Ooh Ra!”, “Hooah”, “HUA”, “Hooyah”, “Hoorah” each of which identify their branch can be heard. This Veteran’s Day was no exception to this norm at the Greater Palm Bay Senior Center when five active duty Air Force personnel joined over 40 Veterans from various branches for a flag raising ceremony, pinning ceremony and Wall of Honor unveiling.
The event included multiple City of Palm Bay officials who are also Veterans including Mayor Rob Medina and Councilman Randy Foster. Deputy Mayor Kenny Johnson and Palm Bay City Manager Suzanne Sherman were also in attendance for the ceremony. Veterans from all branches and conflicts were represented. One Veteran sailor wore his uniform and when asked, shared that the gold stripes on the arm of his uniform were for 12 years of good conduct, he joked the rest of the 24 were just average.
William Habermann, pictured above, came to the front to receive his pin and shared that the shirt and dog tags he was wearing were the exact ones he wore home from Vietnam. His grandson, who had taken off work to attend to honor his service, joined him. His photo, along with the photos of others pinned on this special day are on the Wall of Honor display at the entrance of the Senior Center.
This was just one of the 17 pinning ceremonies our teams held during the week of Veteran’s Day. Over 450 local Veterans were recognized with special pins, commemorative coins and personalized certificates during these ceremonies. We honor and appreciate the sacrifices that our Veterans and their families made for our Nation. Click here to learn how you can make a difference in the lives of our Veterans https://reflectionslsc.org/services/for-veterans/
