Gulf Coast Veterans Week in Pensacola is a 7-day celebration and remembrance of veterans
This year, veterans will be celebrated and honored for not just a day but an entire week in Pensacola with Gulf Coast Veterans Week.
The week will run Nov. 5 to 12 and each day will have numerous events, performances and remembrances for veterans.
The idea was created by state Rep. Michelle Salzman, who last year wanted to establish a week highlighting veterans because one day was not enough.
"On Veterans Day, we come together to honor and recognize American service members past and present. This is usually a day of celebration and reflection. Oftentimes, we as a community are forced to choose between one event or another," Salzman said. "Veterans Week is a celebration to honor all of America's veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good. It gives us, as a community, a true opportunity for reflection and for remembering."
Michelle Caldwell, founder and CEO of the Monument to Women Veterans, said she greatly appreciated the idea.
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"Having a weeklong celebration allows us to be able to support other veteran organizations in our area, instead of all of us on that day just being focused on our organization or our mission. It allows us to work together as one in our community to celebrate our veterans," Caldwell said. "As a nation, we have been at war longer than any time before in our country's history. This Veterans Week celebration gives God thanks for the lives of our troops that have come home to their families."
Here is a look at some of the events scheduled for the week:
Saturday, Nov. 5
Gulf Coast Veterans Week will start Nov. 5 with a reading of the names at Wall South at Veterans Memorial Park on Bayfront Parkway.
The half-scale Vietnam Veterans Memorial lists the names of 58,318 Americans who gave their lives during the Vietnam War. The names will be read aloud at the apex of Wall South by community members, students, veterans and active duty personnel. This solemn process will continue daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. until Nov. 10 and will require over 1,200 volunteers.
Sunday, Nov. 6
There will be a Graffiti Bridge painting event at 9 a.m. and Veterans Week kick-off event will start at 3 p.m. at 980 E. Heinberg St. with Salzman as a guest speaker.
Monday, Nov. 7
From 3:30 to 7:30 p.m., the Pensacola Vet Center will be bringing the Mobile Vet Center to the Texas Roadhouse at 7177 North Davis Highway. VA reps and other veteran-focused resources will be available.
From 7 to 9 p.m. will be the Vietnam Wall 30th anniversary commemoration photographic art exhibit with guest Art Giberson, U.S. Navy Vietnam photographer, at the Anna Lamar Switzer Center for Visual Arts at Pensacola State College, Building 15.
Tuesday, Nov. 8
The University of West Florida Military and Veterans Resource Center will host its Veterans Day observance ceremony from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The keynote speaker will be Chris Lambert, U.S. Marine Corps veteran and three-time Purple Heart recipient.
From 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. will be the Transition Conference and Fair to provide information about benefits and community resources available to veterans, those within two years of transitioning from active duty and family members.
Both events will be held at the UWF Conference Center, 11000 University Parkway. Registration for the events is available at veteransweekus.com.
Wednesday, Nov. 9
At Paychecks for Patriots, CareerSource will be connecting veterans, transitioning military personnel and military spouses with local employers. A Pensacola event will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Bayview Community Center Resource, 2001 E. Lloyd St., and an Okaloosa County event will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 1446 Commerce Drive in Crestview.
Thursday, Nov. 10
Events Nov. 10 feature a Veterans Yoga Project event from 7:30 to 9:15 a.m. at Veterans Memorial Park; a maker's fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the UWF Haas Center at 201 E. Zaragoza St.; the bell rededication ceremony and ribbon cutting for the Veteran Student Success Center from 10 to 11 a.m. at Pensacola State College, Building 6; and a joint Marine Corps birthday ball from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at 1897 Cypress St.
Friday, Nov. 11 (Veterans Day)
From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 11 will be the Veterans Day ceremony at Veterans Memorial Park with guest speaker, actor and retired U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Dale Dye. Exhibits, musical entertainment and food trucks begin at 9 a.m. and the ceremony begins at 10:55 a.m.
The Blue Angels Homecoming Air Show will be from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Naval Air Station Pensacola. A second air show will be performed at the same time Nov. 12.
There will be two Veterans Day parades. One will be located in Pensacola and will start at 10 a.m. at the corner of Spring and Main streets and end at Veterans Memorial Park at 10:30 a.m. The other parade will begin at Milton High School at 9:15 a.m. and end at Veterans Memorial Park in Milton at 11 a.m. Those who want to march in either parade can find an application at veteransweekus.com.
Saturday, Nov. 12
The final day will have the 5K Semper Fi Charity Run at 8 a.m. at Seville Quarter in downtown Pensacola. Visit runpensacola.com to register.
For the full listing of events for Gulf Coast Veterans Week or register for events or to be a vendor, go to veteransweekus.com.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola Gulf Coast Veterans Week includes air show, parades and more
