The White County Historical Society will host an Open House and Salute to Armed Forces Day on Saturday, May 20. The event is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Historic Courthouse Museum on the Cleveland Square.
Armed Forces Day is a nationally recognized celebration held annually on the third Saturday of May. It marks the end of Armed Forces Week. The day is set aside to honor those serving in the six U.S. military branches – the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Space Force.
A 99-year-old World War II veteran will open Saturday’s celebration in Cleveland. Andy Negra will lead the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by the National Anthem and the White County Honor Guard firing a 21-gun salute.
The Honor Guard’s military Humvee will be on display at the historic courthouse. Inside the courthouse’s military room, Army Veteran Kent Robinson will share his knowledge of the Civil War. White County High School’s Jr. Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) will also be on hand, sharing information about its program and serving up samples of real military MREs (meals ready to eat).
Local authors Emory Jones and Garrison Baker will be signing copies of their books. Children will get to make a free USA craft, and there will be music and singing throughout the day in the upstairs courtroom.
“We invite our whole community and visitors to the area to stop by and visit the courthouse museum. It is filled full of treasures acquired through many donations of local families throughout the years that really tell the story of our area,” says White County Historical Society President Susan Baker.
Baker says the Historical Society has acquired some new items that she thinks will be of “great help with family genealogy and others that will bring back some really fond memories.”
The event is free and open to the public.
The historic courthouse museum is located at 1 Courthouse Square in Cleveland.
For more information, call (706) 865-3225.
