Tuscaloosa County Commission chairman to speak at Veterans Day ceremony

Residents in the Tuscaloosa area are invited to show their appreciation for all who have served in the military during a Nov. 11 ceremony in observance of Veterans Day.

Rob Robertson, the Tuscaloosa County probate judge who by virtue of his office also serves as the chairman of the County Commission, will give the keynote address at the annual Veterans Day ceremony.

The program is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. at Veterans Memorial Park, 1701 McFarland Blvd. E, in front of University Mall. In the event of rain, the program will move to the Magnolia Shelter, which is one block south of the Veterans Memorial Park in Snow Hinton Park, 1000 Hargrove Road E.

The event, organized by the Tuscaloosa County Park and Recreation Authority’s Veterans Memorial Park Association, in conjunction with the Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center and the University of Alabama Office of Veteran and Military Affairs, is free and open to the public.

“We are proud to have (Robertson) as keynote speaker," said Duane Lamb,  chairman of the Veterans Memorial Park Association.

Robertson took office on Jan. 14, 2019, as Tuscaloosa County's 16th probate judge. He replaced Hardy McCollum, who had served as probate judge since 1976.

"Judge Robertson continues to innovate and update the services of Tuscaloosa County,” Lamb said.

The probate office oversees a variety of legal services including adoptions, conservator and guardianships, involuntary commitments, marriage licenses, recording deeds, and wills. Before his election as probate judge, Robertson served as the director of the Tuscaloosa County Emergency Management Agency.

According to a news release, during Robertson's enlistment in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves, he was attached to HQ Battery, 4/14 Marines in Bessemer, which was a field artillery unit. He served as a fire directional control man, but spent most of his tenure leading a land survey team, earning the rank of sergeant. The unit was activated during the Persian Gulf War and served stateside.

The Veterans Day ceremony will also include speeches from John Merkle, the director of the Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center who is a retired Army lieutenant colonel, and David Blair, the director of the University of Alabama Veteran and Military Affairs who is retired Army sergeant major.

Veterans Memorial Park, the site of the ceremony, was developed as a memorial for all U.S. armed forces veterans and as a tribute to Northington General Army Hospital, one of the largest military hospitals in the world at the end of World War II. When the hospital closed, it was stipulated that the 1-acre site could only be used as a shrine, a memorial to veterans or a denominational church.

The park was first dedicated in 1978 as a memorial for veterans of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard and rededicated in 1997. The park is also home to the annual Memorial Day ceremony. .

Northport

The city of Northport will host its inaugural Veterans Day celebration at 8 a.m. Nov. 11.

A ceremony will be held at Shirley Place, 512 Main Ave. in downtown Northport, followed by a parade.

Members of the Northport City Council and staff will celebrate the service of all U.S. military veterans and the public is invited to attend.

Veterans Day occurs on a Friday this year.

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This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Tuscaloosa County Commission chairman to speak at Veterans Day program