An American tradition that is 90 years old marches on tomorrow as the Newberry Veterans Day Parade rolls down Main Street at 11 a.m.

Begun as a commemoration of Armistice Day, the national holiday has its roots in the ending of the hostilities of World War I on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918.

Now, 90 years after President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the remembrance for the country, there are many ways around the area to take note of veterans.

The parade organized by the Eugene Wilson Sr. American Legion Auxiliary Unit #219 is one.

The parade follows a route on Main Street from Calhoun to Caldwell streets. Veterans are welcomed to march.

This year, the grand marshall will be Janet R. Kaufmann, a voluntary service specialist at the William Jennings Bryan Dorn Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Columbia.

“What makes Ms. Kaufmann unique is that she truly values the contributions made by the volunteers and veterans service organizations, as well as that of the community,” Georgia Suber, president of the Unit 219 American Legion Auxiliary, explains. “Volunteers think of her as an old and trusted friend.”

Kaufmann has a lot of reasons to be motivated in her service to veterans. One is her late husband, a Vietnam veteran who died when she was 35. Kaufmann raised and educated her children, who are now both teachers.

Kaufmann begain her civil service career in 1974 at the Pearl Harbor Shipyard in Hawaii working for the U.S. Navy as a military personnel clerk. She moved to Columbia in 1991, taking her current position.

At the end of the parade route, Kaufmann will address the crowd.

WORKFORCE CENTER

Employment Security Commission offices around the state are also gearing up to honor and serve veterans, including Newberry.

The local event at the Newberry Workforce Center at 833 Main St. in Newberry will be from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Tuesday. The open house event will not only recognize veterans’ service to their country, but also provide an opportunity to inform veterans of their benefits and services the center offers for veterans seeking employment assistance.

Each center has veteran representatives on hand to help veterans re-entering the civilian workforce. The representatives are men and women who have also served their country. For more information, contact Robin McManus at 276-2110.

Wednesday, the nationally declared Veterans Day, honors include a special program at at least two local elementary schools, a program put on by the American Legion and free admittance to the local National Forest.

NES

The first celebration on Veterans Day begins at 9 a.m. at Newberry Elementary School. The school has invited both city and county officials to the hour-long program, but a place of honor in the school’s auditorium is reserved for veterans and active-duty troops.

“Be proud,” kindergarten teacher and event organizer Jackie Holmes says, urging those to be seated in the special section to wear their caps, berets and other special insignia. All other attendees, including students, are encouraged to wear red, white and blue or their favorite patriotic outfit to the event.

The program will include short speeches from Captain Wesley Palmore, a school resource officer and a veteran of Afghanistan, and Staff Sgt. Lemont Moze, a local who has also been deployed to Afghanistan.

There will be a Power Point presentation of pictures provided by Moze’s mother, Master Sgt. Barbara Carter, of a school built by American troops in Afghanistan during her time over there.

The theme of the program is “Why I’m Grateful for Our Nation’s Veterans” (the national Paralyzed Veterans of America theme this year) and students will be getting in on the presenting too. Third through fifth-grade students are writing essays on the theme and first, second and third place winners in an essay contest will be announced and read at the program. Prekindergarten through second graders are writing letters and doing illustrations to send to vets through the Paralyzed Veterans of America organization.

The Newberry Elementary School chorus, directed by school music teacher Harmony Smith will perform patriotic music. Also, Smith and Carol Lenderman, director of assessment, accountability and professional development at the school’s district office, will perform a special tribute song.

All the students are working in their art classes to create door displays for each classroom and the whole school will sign a banner to be displayed at the school and then given to Sgt. First Class Scott Johnson of the South Carolina National Guard.

Johnson will be on hand Wednesday bringing a Hummer to put on display and giveaways from the guard for the students. Also on display will be a Newberry fire truck and a special case containing items from the military careers of three of the school’s staff members: Holmes, Reggie Wicker and Latrisha Tucker.

There will be patriotic refreshments prepared by the school’s cafeteria staff and a wreath-laying ceremony at the flagpole to wrap up the event.

PRES

Prosperity-Rikard Elementary School will begin its Veterans Day program at 9:45 a.m. All members of the public are invited, but a special invite is extended by the school and Principal Tim Lyden to veterans and homeland security personnel like police and emergency medical services, who will be honored at the event.

Included on the agenda are a flag raising, music from the Army Band of which Lyden is a member and a keynote speech from Keven Cohen, host of the afternoon drive at WVOC 560.

Winners of a poster contest sponsored by the Little Mountain Ruritan Club will be announced. This year’s theme was “American Pride” and students and staff also wrote essays on the topic, a sampling of which will be read.

APPRECIATION DAY

Friends and families of veterans are invited to the American Legion building on Highway 34 (under “the egg” water tower) for Veterans’ Appreciation Day at 7 p.m. on Wednesday.

The speaker for this annual event will be retired Newberry County Veterans Affairs Officer Marie Harmon. Newberry County posts participating are Post 24, David Parnell (Commander), Post 70, Thomas Crisp (Commander) and Post 219, Eugene Wilson Jr. (Commander).

The meal is catered by Ronnie’s Restaurant and tickets are $10 and must be purchased by today at the Veterans Affairs office, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. on Wilson Road, and presented at the door.

The public is invited. If you have questions, call the Veterans Affairs office at 321-2161.

FOREST FREE

The Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests will waive fees at recreation sites and trails Wednesday.

Also waived will be fees at all-day use and overnight camping sites, except for those sites in the National Reservation System.

“We want to thank those veterans and members of the U.S. Armed Forces who have, and continue to, protect our nation,” Forest Supervisor Paul Bradley says. “We hope this fee-free day will encourage veterans, members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families to take advantage of public lands for outdoor recreation pursuits on this day and throughout the year.”

For more information about the opportunities in the local national forests, go online to www.fs.fed.us/r8/fms.