LETTER: To whom it may concern –

In reference to the letter in last week's paper regarding the recent Veteran's day ceremony. We do appreciate your support but please understand that there are several other events on the same day at different area schools and other venues therefore everyone can not be at all of them at once. The majority of our elected officials have always supported Veterans day and Memorial day events throughout the years and have attended when able and have even participated as well. Judge Davis has always put a lot of his personal time, effort, work and probably his own funds into helping keep these things going behind the scenes that many are not even aware of. When the local veterans organization closed down several years back, we decided to keep these traditions and ceremonies alive for ALL of our veterans from our county who bravely and proudly served and sacrificed for us all. I have two grandads from here that served in WW2 and many more family and friends that served as well. This is not about me, or about us, it's about ensuring that ALL of our veterans, past, present and even future are Never forgotten. Thank you all for your support and a very special thanks to all of the dedicated and devoted folks like Virginia Goforth with her singing and salute to all branches of the military, Michael Knight with his patriotic music, Alan Kirby leading the honor guard rifle salute, Brian Eisenbart who does a great job with his sound equipment, Ms. Betty and her tributes to our veterans at the museum and Ms. Joann and all her crew who put out all of the flags at cedar hill cemetery and last but certainly not least 'Colonel' Shamrock Shelly Cleaver who is our inspiration. Shelley is a Korean war veteran and is one of, if not the oldest veteran in our county. All of these folks and especially the veterans and their families are our motivation to keep these ceremonies on these Sacred American holidays going strong. We all owe the veterans and their families our sincere love and appreciation for their service and sacrifice for our freedom. God Bless America, God Bless Texas, God Bless our Veterans and may God continue to bless us all. Happy Thanksgiving and Merry CHRISTmas.

Sincerely and respectfully, 
K.A. McClure,
Cherokee County, Texas