Veterans honored with parade at state care home in Tyler

TYLER, Texas (KLTV) - The 100 veterans living at Watkins-Logan Texas State Veterans Home were honored Friday morning with a Veterans Day parade.

Dozens marched representing various organizations to show their gratitude to the service men and women. Camp V was asked to lead the parade with a Color Guard complete with a bagpipe.

“We have a great relationship with Watkins-Logan, and to be asked to lead that way and to lead this parade was a great honor,” said Camp V Director and U.S. Air Force veteran Travis Gladhill.

U.S. Rep. Nathaniel Moran (R-TX-1) was also in attendance to show his support of service members.

“It was important for us to be here today because these veterans have given so much to us, and they need to be reminded that we’re still committed to them. When I was at West Point, I learned that phrase: Duty, Honor, Country. ‘Duty’ is what they’ve done, ‘honor’ is how they’ve done it and ‘country’ is why they’ve done it, and for that we’re grateful,” he said.

When asked how best to honor veterans, the common answer was to give a simple yet sincere “thank you.”

“All of them just want to hear a ‘thank you.’ They just want to know that somebody realizes what they’ve done for their country,” said veteran and Texas Veterans Land Board Onsite Representative Troy Turner.

“Just walk up, look them in the eye, shake their hand and tell them what it means to you, to pay that tribute, to pay that honor, to pay that respect,” said Gladhill.

With American flags waving proudly, East Texas civilians and service members honored the oldest generation of those who fought for our freedom.

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