Toss a pebble in Oak Harbor. Whoever it hits, thank them for their service.
Per usual, Oak Harbor offers several avenues to show up and pay respect on Veterans Day.
Veterans Day is observed annually on the eleventh day of the eleventh month to memorialize the signing of the Armistice ending World War I. It makes sense, then, that ceremonies kick off at 11 a.m. at Oak Harbor High School. It will be the Navy League’s 21st year hosting the event.
This year’s theme is “Honor and Unity: Bridging Generations of Service,” said John Hermandorfer, director of the Whidbey Island Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society. The league seeks to recognize Sea Cadets and Reserve Officers Training Corps students, as many of them have family members who have served as well.
North Whidbey Middle School Choir and All-Island Community Band will perform. Command Master Chief Dennis B. Custodio, of Fleet Readiness Center Northwest, is set to give a speech.
This year’s parade, the second hosted in collaboration with Oak Harbor Main Street and the Chamber of Commerce, begins at 2 p.m. on Pioneer Way and runs through Ely Street. Police officers and firefighters kick off the line, followed by around 200 members of the Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps, or JROTC, commanding officer of the air station, the color guard, Veterans of Foreign Wars and more.
Main Street and the Chamber have hundreds of flags to hand to spectators, said Margaret Livermore, executive director of Oak Harbor Main Street.
Veterans Day encompasses many people in the community from all different backgrounds, Hermandorfer said.
“In our community, we have our veterans, those currently on active duty and reserve, and those who are going to serve,” he said. “The Oak Harbor High School JROTC and the Sea Cadets represent the next generation of service and continue a legacy that makes Oak Harbor and the surrounding community both proud and patriotic. It is an honor to be part of the program this year.”
The Saturday before Veterans Day, the Whidbey Island Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America splits off to cemeteries in Oak Harbor, Coupeville and Clinton. Over 50 veterans and 25 members of the JROTC will assemble to mourn, pray and honor veterans and place 1,400 flags around the island.
David Cohick of the Military Officers Association said that Whidbey obviously has a strong military community, but it also has a very strong community of veterans as many folks tend to retire here.
Island County has the highest proportion of veterans in Washington State with over 11,000 veterans, representing over 13% of the county’s population. Cohick said he believes around 75% of the people in Oak Harbor are involved in the military in one way or another.
“The longer you live here, the more you’ll be layered with the military,” he said.
