Stephen Gardner, commander, Ernest Simmons VFW Post No. 6722, proactively reached out to Harnett County Veterans Affairs a few weeks ago in the course of his duties as a Lillington police officer. He was inquiring about support needed for the parade from the police department. That’s when he found out that, once again, there would be no parade. That did not sit right with him at all. Now he says he is willing to take on the task himself to make sure the parade will continue.

Harnett County Veterans Services Department Director Eric Truesdale said it (no parade) was a decision of the Harnett County Veterans Council, citing traffic concerns, event insurance requirements, and North Carolina Department of Transportation (DOT) involvement that make putting on a parade challenging.

Gardner says he’s willing to put in the work to make it happen next year and for years to come, no matter what it takes.

"It is incumbent on veterans organizations to reach out to our community leaders to let them know we are still here continuing to serve, which in turn raises awareness of their social agendas along with programs that benefit our neighbors,” he said. "The parade was an exciting event for people of all ages with and without exposure to veterans, military service or possibly even the concept of patriotism. It brought the community together and served as an opportunity to honor veterans while highlighting awareness of veterans issues.”

Gardner says we can’t lose this important community opportunity and equates the importance of the Veterans Day parade with the local Christmas and Fourth of July parades.

Original Article - https://www.mydailyrecord.com/news/veteran-vows-to-bring-back-parade/article_645a279a-a06b-11ef-ba5c-ab667a9367b4.html