They steadfastly remained dedicated to seeing the ceremony to its conclusion and honoring the local veterans who were presented with awards during the ceremony.

Heavy rain and wind may have put a damper on the event, but the crowd of people who attended to salute the veterans who dedicated a portion of their lives to serve the United States didn’t waver. Most set the bad weather aside and focused on the federal holiday’s purpose.

At the height of the storm, flags that were lined up near the front porch of City Hall were close to toppling because of the strong wind. Local veterans, with a mix of private citizens, rushed to secure them and prevented them from falling to the ground and remained by their sides until the event wrapped up.

The celebration kicked off with a parade in Alpena that featured members of veteran groups on trailers slowly being escorted by local police and fire personnel to City Hall.

News Photo by Steve Schulwitz A group of local veterans lead the Veterans Day ceremony in the Pledge of Allegiance during a Veterans Day ceremony on Monday in Alpena.

The veterans were greeted with waves, whistles, and phones in the air taking photos. Once everyone gathered on the front lawn of City Hall, the crowd joined in the singing of the Star Spangled Banner and the Pledge of Allegiance.

Just as the weather began to turn sour, local veteran Bob Young addressed the crowd and shared what the American Flag meant to him and how he served his country from basic training in Missouri and later stationed in Turkey on the Black Sea and Japan.

Young said his time in the military led to many blessings and he credits it with his personal growth at that point in his life.

“I met my future wife while in Fukuoka and she joined me in Alpena in November of 1971,” he said. “We all have our own story and I can relate that mine was good and I’m a better person for having done my duty.”

Many people confuse Veterans Day and Memorial Day. Memorial Day is a tribute and salute to those who died while at war, while Veterans Day celebrates all veterans — living and deceased.

News Photo by Steve Schulwitz A large military vehicle was included in the annual Veteran’s Day parade in Alpena on Monday. The parade also included many local veterans groups that were escorted by local police and fire vehicles and personnel.

During the ceremony, Wayne Trapp was announced as the recipient of the Veteran Lifetime Award, and Rich Mohammed was named the Veteran of the Year. Agnes Ferguson was named Veteran Supporter of the Year.

Young said acknowledging veterans and the sacrifices they made in their lives is the right thing to do and they should be thought about beyond Memorial Day and Veterans Day.

“The living vets that are still here appreciate it,” Young said. “They have given a portion of their lives and put a pause on their lives and what we did, not for thanks, but because we believe what JFK said. ‘It is not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.'”

For years, the annual Veterans Day ceremony was held at Little Flanders Field near the cemetery. This year the local city government worked with local veterans groups to have the parade and proceedings at the courthouse. The Alpena Department of Public Works prepared the yard at City Hall and blocked off portions of nearby streets to accommodate the parade. The Alpena Fire Department used its aerial truck to hoist a large American Flag over the stairs of City Hall, so the red, white, and blue could look over the event.

City Manager Rachel Smolinski said the local veterans council reached out to her about having the parade and ceremony and she told the veterans the city would help in any way it could. She said if the veteran groups want to utilize City Hall again next year, she would help in any way possible to make it a reality.

News Photo by Steve Schulwitz Several people participating in Monday’s Veterans Day ceremony in Alpena dressed up in costumes to celebrate the event. Here, a woman is dressed up as Lady Liberty, while the man wears his colonial attire.

“The entire event really gave me goosebumps, despite the driving rain,” she said. “I told them that we will help them with anything we can and it was just amazing seeing all of the flags and veterans at City Hall. We’ll do anything we can to help with projects and future needs.”

Steve Schulwitz can be reached at 989-358-5689 or sschulwitz@thealpenanews.com. Follow him on X @ss_alpenanews.com.