Featured speaker for ceremony following parade to be retired four-star Army Gen. Wallace
The City of Sarasota and the Sarasota Patriotic Observance Committee are inviting the public to attend the annual Veterans Day parade, which will begin at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 11, in downtown Sarasota, the city has announced.
The parade will start at the intersection Main Street and Orange Avenue and conclude at Chaplain J.D. Hamel Park, which stands at the intersection of Main Street and Gulfstream Avenue, a news release says. A ceremony will be held at the park at approximately 11 a.m., “honoring the service and sacrifice of all United States military veterans,” the release notes.
“Retired four-star Army Gen. William ‘Scott’ Wallace will be featured as the ceremony’s guest speaker,” the release adds. “During nearly 40 years of service, Wallace commanded at every level,” from platoon to corps, the release points out. He served in Vietnam, Germany and throughout the United States, it says.
Further, the release adds, Wallace “is the recipient of top military honors,” including the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star.
The parade will include performances by marching bands from the Sarasota Military Academy and other local high schools, the release continues. “Local law enforcement agencies, first responders, color guards, veterans’ groups, community organizations, and local dignitaries” also will participate in the parade, the release notes.
For more information, including inquiries about participating in the parade, contact Dan Kennedy, chair of the Sarasota Patriotic Observance Committee, at 941-812-5406.