MONROE COUNTY VETERANS AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT HOSTS VETERANS DAY CEREMONY IN KEY LARGO AND PARTICIPATES IN KEY WEST VETERANS DAY PARADE

 It was a particularly special Veterans Day Ceremony on Sunday at the Murray Nelson Government and Cultural Center in Key Largo. In 1918, 100 years ago to the day, the first World War ended.

 In 1938, the first Veterans Day – it originally was called Armistice Day – was set as a legal holiday to honor the day the horrific war ended. It was dedicated “to the cause of world peace.”

 The Monroe County Veterans Affairs Department hosted Sunday’s ceremony, which honored all veterans, including the approximately 15 men and women veterans who were in attendance and had served in the U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy.

 Members of the Veterans Affairs Department also participated in the Veterans Day parade in Key West on Saturday.

 At the Sunday ceremony, the Key Largo School band played several patriotic songs. A National Geographic short documentary on World War I also was shown to the crowd that included Monroe County Mayor Pro Tem Sylvia Murphy and Monroe County State Attorney Dennis Ward.

 “Forty million lives later, we don’t know the exact number, but 40 million lives later World War I ended,” Monroe County Veterans Affairs Director Gary Johnson said. “It ended on Nov. 11th, at 11 a.m., on the 11th month, the 11th hour, the 11th day. That is why we celebrate Veterans Day, although it is in a different time zone in France, on Nov. 11th every year. We don’t move it to a more convenient Friday or Saturday to get an extra day of work. We are doing it because we are honoring all veterans who served with honor, even the ones still living.”

 Keys resident Melissa Link was at the ceremony. She said she came to honor the veterans’ sacrifice. “I try to show appreciation any chance I get. I come to say thanks to people who keep us safe.”

 The children at the Treasure Village Montessori School in Islamorada also showed their gratitude to veterans by making art work to give them under the direction of art teacher Diana McGirk Hillie.

 Rocco Lapace, Commander of American Legion Post 333 in Key Largo and an Army veteran during the Cold War, appreciated the gesture. He took home two of the children’s artwork, one depicting the Tree of Life and the other the Mona Lisa.

 “I am a very proud veteran,” Lapace said. “My grandfather served in World War I, my father and two uncles served in World Ward II, myself during the Cold War and my son was in Afghanistan and Iraq.  Service runs in our family.”

Photos by Cammy Clark of the Key Largo ceremony. In first photo, Veterans Affairs Director Gary Johnson tells the audience about the origin of Veterans Day. In the second photo, Rocco Lapace, Commander of American Legion Post 333 in Key Largo and an Army veteran during the Cold War, shows the artwork done by children at the Treasure Village Montessori School to honor veterans.

Photo by Cathy Crane of the Key West parade.

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