- December 1, 2024
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Col. Ben Knisely, who was honored as Veteran of the Year along with Master Sgt. Barbara Vaughn, said Sarasota is a place that welcomes veterans.
"I would say to you, having grown up in the little town of Osprey — I know the area well — Sarasota is a very, very friendly place for veterans," he told attendees at the ceremony that followed the annual Veteran's Day Parade.
He said while he was honored to accept the award, he did it with one contingency — that he did so on behalf of all veterans in the community.
The whole veteran community was honored during the Veterans Day parade, held Nov. 11. along Main Street and featuring the participation of local police and fire staff, schools, clubs and organizations and concluding in the ceremony at J.D. Hamel Park.
The keynote speaker was Erica Stone Gregory, a retired lieutenant colonel who served 20 years in the U.S. Air Force, whose husband is State Rep. Tommy Gregory.
She recounted how growing up with a father who was an Air Force veteran and a mother who was an immigrant from the Dominican Republic, she learned a respect for America's freedoms.
She said although her own sacrifices could not compare with those many other veterans had made.
"Let me tell you why I believe many of them did it," she said. "It's because we are proud of this country, and we all should be. This is the greatest country in the history of the world because of the rights and freedoms enshrined in our Constitution. We must defend our country and its ideals to ensure we remain a beacon of freedom, and I'm proof that the United States of America is a wonderful melting pot and remains the land of opportunity."