Nov. 13 Veterans Day ceremony to honor those who served

WAXAHACHIE – The Ellis County Marine Corps League Detachment 1452 has taken the reigns of the planning and execution of the Ellis County Veterans Appreciation Ceremony in an effort to keep the event alive for years to come.

This year’s ceremony will be held on Saturday, Nov. 13 from 10 a.m.–12 p.m. at the Waxahachie Civic Center and is open to all members of the general public from Ellis County and beyond.

This ceremony typically draws 1,000 plus attendees, and a good portion of them typically come from outside of the County.

In the year 2000, Perry Giles and David Hudgins created this ceremony from the ground up. In their over twenty years of service to our community, through the presentation of this ceremony, they have turned the event into a revered experience that people come from near and far to experience.

The Ceremony honors veterans of all generations and eras of every branch of service.

This year’s presentation will be similar to years past; with Ken Roberts returning as the Master of Ceremonies, the Classic Swing Band, the Reveille Sisters, Ed Lane will present the POW/MIA Empty Table tribute, Casey Needham and Fletcher Jowers will sing several songs, Scott Geiger will be the bagpiper, the firing party from the Ellis County Marine Corps League Detachment 1452’s Honor Guard will provide the 3-round volley, and Lane Grayson will play TAPS.

The key aspects of the ceremony will be the National Anthem, Pledge of Allegiance, POW/MIA Empty Table tribute, a Salute to the Armed Forces, a Tribute to Veterans of the present and past eras, the laying of the wreath (procession out to the Memorial), the 3-round rifle volley, the playing of TAPS, and a military style flyover.

Perry Giles, co-founder of the Ellis County Veterans Appreciation Ceremony, stated that, “many veterans look forward to this ceremony every year and several have said how it really helped them by being shown a level of respect and appreciation that they have never experienced before. "It is always an honor to see the reactions of many of the veterans who attend, which makes it well worth the time and effort that goes into planning and executing the event.”

This year Perry Giles and David Hudgins were able to step back from leading this charge and passed the responsibility on to the Ellis County Marine Corps League Detachment 1452, who created a joint planning committee includes members of most Veterans Service Organizations in Ellis County, veterans not involved in these organizations, and civilians who are interested in making a difference in the community.

The committee is always looking for those that wish to serve. If interested, please contact the committee chairman with the contact information above.

  About the Ellis County Detachment 1452, Marine Corps League Inc.: The Marine Corps League was one of the earliest established Veterans Organizations, organized by the Commandant of the Marine Corps, then Major General, John A. Lejeune in June 1923 and chartered by an Act of Congress in August 1937.

The Ellis County Detachment 1452 was chartered by the Marine Corps League’s National Headquarters in May 2017 and is a nonprofit corporation with a 501 (c)(4) designation within the Internal Revenue Code of the Internal Revenue Service.

The Detachment is tax-exempt within the Marine Corps League’s Group Exemption (code 955) with the IRS.

All donations to the Detachment are tax-deductible for the donor, depending on the donors tax status with the IRS.

The Detachment’s mission is to lend support and partner with Veterans, Veteran organizations, and community members, and organizations through volunteerism, financial support, and grants to empower Veterans to conquer the challenges they face in an ever-changing world while increasing community awareness.

Please visit the Detachment’s website at https://mclelliscounty1452.org for more information.