Mayor John Cotugno, Steve Hume, Carlos Holcomb, Cynthia and Sgt. Rob Ryan. PHOTO BY JOSHUA KODIS

The setting may have been different, but the message still rang loud and clear during the annual Veterans Day Ceremony, as local residents honored veterans for their sacrifice and service.

The ceremony, hosted by the Veterans Council of Indian River County, took place at Riverside Park’s Grand Gazebo this year due to the ongoing reconstruction of the bridge to Veterans Memorial Island Sanctuary.

Keeping with tradition, however, all the ceremonial pomp and circumstance was observed, with a voluminous American flag waving in the breeze from the ladder of a fire truck, and the Vero Beach High School band playing a medley of patriotic songs.

“Our military veterans have stood resilient in the face of tyranny. Sacrificing life and limb to preserve the only bastion of freedom the world has ever known, the United States of America,” said Col. Carlos Halcomb, USAF (Ret.). He noted that Veterans Day provides an opportunity to honor the men and women who “put on the uniform and served this great country, whether in peace or at war.”

Michelle Dale, American Gold Star Mother IRC founder and president, whose son, Cpl. Dale Kridlo, was killed 13 years ago while serving in Afghanistan, read the names of 32 veterans from Indian River County who served in World War II.

Referring to Kridlo, this year’s keynote speaker, Maj. Gen. Michael Repass, USA (Ret.), said, “He went into the heart of darkness wearing the American flag on his sleeve. He paid the ultimate price for this country.”

Repass said that while about 11 percent of the nation’s population served in the military during World War II, substantially fewer do so today.

“We’re a national asset, not a problem to be solved,” said Repass of today’s veterans.

“We’re not a group of victims to be pitied and patted on the back. We want to be part of the community and join the opportunities we find all around us in this great nation. Moreover, we want the dignity of a purpose in our communities and at work. We understand in our hearts and in our deeds, and acknowledge in our deeds, the higher calling of service and how to make a difference. We want our civilian life to be as important as every day in our uniform.”

Asking where the next generation of veterans would come from, he said, “There are people in far-off places that hate us and will spare no measure to come to our land and attack us and our way of life. For America to remain a beacon of light in dark places, and a force of good in a world of manifest evil, we have to have young people to stand up and say, ‘I do and I will’ and to someday become veterans.”

The bridge work to Memorial Island is expected to be completed by the end of the year, at which point construction will begin on a long-overdue World War II Tribute. It is planned as a permanent parade reviewing stand, eliminating the need to have temporary stages brought in for ceremonies.

Nearly half of the $700,000 goal for the tribute project has been raised, some through the purchase of a 21 Salute “The Greatest Generation” Limited Edition Bourbon Whiskey, offered by the 21st Amendment Distillery on 14th Avenue.

Donations to the tribute can be made by check to Cultural Council of Indian River County – World War II Tribute, at 2400 25th Ave., Vero Beach, FL, 32960, or through the Cultural Council website, cultural-council.org.

On Dec. 7, a Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day will be held at the Heritage Center. For more information, visit veteranscirc.com.

Photos by Joshua Kodis