Nov 05 2020
Pensacola News Journal
The Veterans Memorial Park Foundation of Pensacola will dedicate the Gold Star Families Memorial Monument during a Veterans Day ceremony next week.
The ceremony begins at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, at Veterans Memorial Park and is open to the public.
Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Hershel "Woody" Williams will be the guest of honor and will officiate the dedication of the monument.
Williams received the country's highest military honor for his service during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II.
He established the Hershel "Woody" Williams Medal of Honor Foundation in 2010 to recognize Gold Star families and children who have lost a loved one in military service.
The foundation has established permanent Gold Star Families Memorial Monuments in communities throughout the country. The monument in Pensacola will mark its 75th in the U.S.
"We are proud to have been selected as caretakers of such an important tribute to the families of our heroes who gave everything in the name of liberty and freedom," said Paul Entrekin, president of the Veterans Memorial Park Foundation of Pensacola, in a news release.
The keynote speaker at Veterans Day event will be Jill Hubbs, a member of the park foundation and a Gold Star daughter. Hubbs is also the general manager of WSRE.
A group of Gold Star families will participate in the ceremony and will place yellow roses at the monument's base once it is unveiled.