JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – On Monday afternoon, the city of Jacksonville honored military veterans with its annual Veterans Day Parade downtown. Thousands gathered with their children, family, members, and fellow veterans to pay tribute.
For Army veteran, Eric Harrelson, coming to the parade gives him a feeling of pride.
“I spent 20-something years in, so this is always going to be in my blood and in my heart, along with my family,” said Harrelson. “We try to come every year.”
The parade started at Water Street in front of the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts and made a left onto Hogan Street. It then continued east on Bay Street until it reached LOT X near EverBank Stadium. It featured senior military officials, active-duty and retired military, veteran’s groups, local high school marching bands, decorative floats, giant balloons, JROTC units, and more. Former State Senator John Thrasher, who served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, was the Grand Marshal this year.
For some vets, the best part is having the chance to see the next generation of service men and women. After he retired from the Navy, Ron Mills taught in the ROTC program at Bishop Kenny High School. Seeing them march today fills him with pride.
“I wanted to give something back,” Mills said. “I always felt like that was the thing I wanted to do, and that’s why I went into the ROTC program. I loved it. It’s amazing what they can do.”
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Elissa Cork was thrilled to see her son marching in the parade. She said coming out and sharing this experience is important to her family.
“I have a lot of family that has been in the military, in just about every branch,” Cork said. “My husband’s family has a lot of Navy in it, so for us, it runs really deep in our family. It is so nice to see we still have people come out even when it’s in the rain.”
Harrelson said he’s grateful his granddaughter was able to accompany him to see the celebration, and the man people who came by to say thank you.
“I appreciate the veterans, I always will,” Harrelson said. “I’m a veteran and I hope that everybody always thinks of the veteran as a person who has sacrificed. Maybe not his life, but at least his life in general, to serve the country. Something bigger than himself.”