JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville’s Veterans Day Parade, one of the largest in the Southeast, brought more than 4,000 participants together to say thank you to those who have served our nation and those still fighting for our freedoms.
The patriotic presentation featured grand marshals, senior military officials, active-duty and retired military, veterans groups, local high school marching bands, decorative floats, giant balloons, JROTC units and more marching through the streets of Downtown Jacksonville to show their appreciation for our retired and active-duty service members. The event was sponsored by the Law Offices of Ron Sholes, P.A.
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Despite the joyous occasion for many, the day remains difficult to celebrate for many people like Pam Cain, whose father, Col. Oscar Mauterer, remains missing in action.
“He is always in my heart, but I want everybody to remember him, especially today,” Cain said.
Mauterer was an Air Force pilot whose plane was shot down during the Vietnam War in February 1966. Pam was 12 years old at the time.
Now, all Cain can do is hold on to memories she has before her father’s last mission.
“He was a golfer. He loved to fly, so we would go up in private aircraft,” Cain said. “He was quite a disciplinarian. He demanded a lot of us as kids. He wanted us to do well in school, but he was very hands-on.”
There are 82,000 people who have fought for this country who are still missing in action -- 73,000 of them fought in World War II.
That’s why Mike Cassata is working to expand the Cecil Field POW/MIA Memorial for it to become a nationally designated memorial and museum.
“There are families out there that still don’t have closure. POWs that have endured a lot of pain and suffering. They came home, returned, and Gold Star families who lost their loved ones,” said Cassata, executive director of the memorial.
The project is already getting support from VyStar Credit Union, which plans to match up to $150,000 in community contributions for the initial phase of the National POW/MIA Memorial & Museum.
“It is priceless to me. I think it’s going to be a national destination, and people from all over are going to want to see it,” Cain said.
The memorial is a way to honor those veterans’ service and to push to get these families answers.
“We are here for them,” Cassata said. “We support them, and we give them the encouragement that they need to move forward.”