ORANGE PARK – To celebrate Veterans Day and ahead of the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War, the town of Orange Park welcomed dozens to Magnolia Cemetery to commemorate the holiday.

Hosted by the Historical Society of Orange Park, the annual Wreath Laying Ceremony was held at the Veterans Memorial. Despite the cool and windy weather and the absence of the Dreamland Squadron flyover, dozens showed up with coats and gloves to honor the more than 28,000 veterans in Clay County and approximately 18 million in the United States. 

The First Coast Highlanders used their Scottish bagpipes and drums to play as guests took their seats, tracing the walkways lined with American flags.

Van Hogan of the Historical Society gave the welcome, while Chaplain Kenny Greenway of the American Legion Post 250 led the invocation.  Boy Scout Troop 25 presented the colors, while the Orange Park High Chorus sang the National Anthem. The chorus also later sang America the Beautiful. 

The First Coast Highlanders returned to perform a military set, as veterans from each branch were asked to stand when they heard their service song. 

Guest speakers for the event included Carol Westermann, the regent of the Sophia Fleming Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and Orange Park Police Chief Randy Case.

Westermann, along with other members of the chapter, also gave honorary pins to Vietnam-era veterans.

Case gave a brief overview of the town’s robust veteran population. He said that in addition to the public works department and the fire department, 45% of staff in the town’s police department are also veterans.

“We have some sailors, we have soldiers, airmen and of course a few marines. We don’t have any space force or coast guard yet, but we’ll keep our hopes up,” he said.

Dr. Victor Maquera was the featured speaker at the event. A retired Navy Commander and a current board-certified neurologist in Orange Park, Maquera talked about his upbringing and journey to joining the U.S. Navy.

A poignant moment in Maquera’s remarks occurred when he realized the fragility of life. He detailed the loss of two of his friends during his service.

Maquera, along with Case, also assisted in laying a wreath in front of the large Veterans Memorial, which was dedicated to the town back in 2012.

During another big part of the annual ceremony, local students were given awards of this year’s winning essays. Students are recognized in elementary, junior high and high school categories. Each category has a first-place winner who receives a cash prize and gets the chance to read their essay during the ceremony.

This year’s winners were sixth-grader Mason DeLeon, seventh-grader Riley Jennings and 10th-grader John Leoncio. Jennings ultimately decided to donate his prize to his school’s fundraiser to help Clay County families in need. 

During her closing remarks, Orange Park Historical Society President Cynthia Cheatwood announced that the organization will be installing a marker to the cemetery’s first Pearl Harbor survivor., Arthur Gilbert, on Dec. 7.