Published: November 10, 2009 11:25 am      

City prepares to celebrate nation’s heroes — our veterans

Local veterans’ groups will salute service members with meals, ceremonies and flags on Wednesday in observance of Veterans Day.

The federal holiday honors living veterans who served in the military, during war or peacetime.

The day’s events begin with a flag-raising in front of the Pittsburg County Courthouse on Carl Albert Parkway. The American Legion Post No. 79 will conduct the flag ceremony at 8 a.m., according to Judy Gray.

Like other local veterans groups, the Legion post plans a lunch for servicemen and women, and their families. Gray said a ceremony to post the colors and to honor prisoners of war and those missing in action will precede the 11:30 luncheon at the Legion hall, at 400 S. Second St.

The meatloaf lunch — free to service members and their immediate families — will be served in the hall. But one table will be set aside to honor POWs and MIAs.

“We light a candle to represent their presence in our hearts,” Gray said.

At the Veterans of Foreign Wars Bob Thomas Post No. 1098, at 14th and Morris in Krebs, veterans will be honored with a 21-gun salute.

“We will be giving a salute at 11,” Post Quartermaster Jesse Perry said. He said a dinner for all veterans will follow the 21-gun salute, also at the VFW post.

Disabled American Veterans Chapter 20 hosted a free meal for veterans on Monday, but has other plans to honor servicemen and women on Wednesday. Flag raising and flag retirement ceremonies are set for 11 and 11:20 a.m., respectively, at the DAV chapter, at 125 S. Main in Krebs.

After the flag salute, the DAV will host a fish fry at noon. The cost is $5 per plate, although donations will be accepted.

Meanwhile, McAlester Army Ammunition Plant Commander Col. Arnold Montgomery will take the Veterans Day message to Wilburton on Wednesday. McAAP Public Affairs officer Mark Hughes said Montgomery and Marine Corps Liaison Gunnery Sgt. Kevin Conrad will co-host a military presentation for about 500 students.

The presentation, “What is a Veteran,” will include video about each branch of the service. “For example, there is a two- or three-minute Army video, titled ‘I Am a Solider,’” Hughes said.

“It takes them from the Revolutionary War to the present and goes into why the soldiers went into the Army.”

Contact Kandra Wells at kwells@mcalesternews.com.