Flag-waving children and adults lined the streets of Rabun County on Saturday to thank local veterans for their service. They turned out for the county’s Armed Forces Day Convoy organized by Forward Rabun/Chamber of Commerce.
The mile-long convoy ran from Dillard to Tiger before winding back to the Rabun County Civic Center Pavilion. After the 15-mile ride, participants enjoyed a free picnic lunch and fellowship. The event gave veterans and their families from across Northeast Georgia a chance to meet and swap stories.
Two World War II veterans, Andy Negra of White County and Eldred Causey of Rabun were among the honored guests. The 99-year-old Negra was with the Allied troops when they landed on Omaha Beach in Normandy, France, during D-Day on June 6, 1944. Causey was a Navy pilot who patrolled the Pacific Northwest from Whidbey Island during the conflict. At 100 years of age, he is Rabun County’s oldest living veteran and was this year’s convoy grand marshal.
Sacrifice and gratitude
Rabun County Sheriff Chad Nichols and deputies escorted the line of approximately 50 vehicles through Dillard, Mountain City, Clayton, and past Tiger. For sheriff’s investigator Kevin Angell, an Operation Enduring Iraqi Freedom veteran, it was deeply personal.
“It’s easy to forget as time goes on the wars that America’s been involved in. Whether or not you agree with those conflicts, these men and women sacrificed everything to make sure that our country is safe,” Angell said. “A lot of personal sacrifice went into that. We could never thank them enough.”
Moved by the number of people who turned out to greet them, Angell said by the time the convoy ended, “some of these guys were crying.”
“You can tell how much they appreciate it,” he said.
Armed Forces Day is observed annually on the third Saturday in May. It’s a day set aside to honor the United States military. Other upcoming tributes to our nation’s military include Memorial Day on May 27, when we honor our nation’s war dead. Veterans Day, observed each year on November 11, pays tribute to all who have served.
