THE HEARTY VETERANS of the greater Durand area gathered with a group of Durand city officials and other veteran supporters on the morning of Monday, Nov. 11 at the Veterans Memorial Park in Durand to celebrate Veterans Day. The countywide Veterans Day parade that was scheduled to step off at 6 p.m. on Nov. 11 in Durand was cancelled due to weather, so the Durand veteran community was forced to improvise.
Several inches of snow already covered the ground by 11 a.m. when the ceremony began in Durand. Undeterred, members of Durand VFW Post 2272 and AMVETS Post 2273 braved temperatures in the mid-20s and steadily falling snowflakes that would continue well into the evening.
Providing the 21-gun salute was (from left) VFW Sr. Vice Les Schneider, VFW member John Weir, VFW Jr. Vice Mike Patterson, VFW members Ralph Gillespie and Mike Shephard, AMVETS member Don Sites and AMVETS 1st Vice Commander Ernie Johnson. Joining them on the horn was VFW Commander Joe Cooney (far right).
Shown saluting inside the Veterans Memorial Park are Past VFW Commander Dennis Martin and AMVETS Commander Russ Amidon.
(Courtesy Photo)
