Cumberland County Veterans Day parade a nod to service-rich community that supports troops
Cumberland County is ready to honor its veteran population with a parade on Saturday.
WRAL Fayetteville Reporter Gilbert Baez shows what this means to veterans who call the communities near Fort Liberty home.
The 'Iron Mike' statue represents the 18th Airborne Corps And Fort Liberty. Most know Fayetteville and Fort Liberty are connected at the hip. On Saturday, that relationship will be celebrated with a big parade.
Lt. General Christopher Donahue, Commander of the 18th Airborne Corps and Fort Liberty, and his command staff are Grand Marshals.
"It's an incredible honor to represent all the veterans and active members of the community," Donahue said. "This is a really big deal."
North Carolina is home to more than 750,000 veterans, making up nearly 10 percent of the state's total population. Michael Rehnbert is one of them.
"It makes me feel proud that I got to serve my country," Rehnbert said. "And my son is actually in the Army right now, too. It really does me good when I see that when people are out celebrating the veterans in a parade."
There are about 90 units walking, marching and driving in this year's parade. Some of these vehicles go to war. Organizers say safety is the top priority.
"We look at all safety precautions," said former parade organizer Grilley Mitchell. "Making sure that we have ample distance in between. To make sure that everyone is protected and feel safe while they participate in our parade."
120,000 military retirees call Cumberland County home. Now, they have a variety of jobs in the community and own local businesses. They even serve as coaches and referees for the youth in our community.
"We'll always be having a Veterans Day Parade in Fayetteville," said Goerge Breece. "We know this. when the world dials 911, the phone is answered here at Fort Liberty."
The parade starts a 10 a.m. and runs along Hay Street in downtown Fayetteville. Gilbert Baez is the Emcee and WRAL is a proud sponsor. If you can't make it, you can watch the parade live on wral.com.
