By Phoenix and Metric

Thanks to the City of Eustis, the Lake County Chapter of the Nam Knights MC and the Patriot Guard Riders, the Lake County Vet Fest 2021 was once again an event to remember. The older I get the more I realize how important events like this must be shared with the younger generations. As evil around this country try to erase our history, it is more important than ever that we share their sacrifices.

While Veterans Day events are for all veterans, we must not forget the sacrifices of those who never returned home from the battlefield. The Vet Fest was a weekend filled with fun, food, music, and patriotic activities all around the county. The Vet fest included parades, bike rides, walks/runs, bed races and escorts to the walls.

However, the highlight for me was the patriotic ceremony held at Ferran Park on Saturday. The Patriot Guard Riders had both the Vietnam Memorial Wall and the Global War on Terrorism Wall on display. The two guest speakers gave a stunning recall of their experiences. The first speaker was John O’Kelly a born and bred Leesburg resident. He gave a chilling recall of the Lake County residents whose names appear on the Vietnam Wall. The second speaker was Carey Baker, a resident of Eustis, who served in the Global War on Terrorism. He gave a detailed description on the terrorism that we face today. We must remember “All gave some and some gave all” for all of those who have served in our military. Thanks to their service we are the “Home of the Free, Because of the Brave.”