Ceremony at Bonita cemetery honors veterans

There were 80 red, white and blue American flags lining the driveway of the cemetery, flapping in the breeze and catching the eyes of motorists speeding by on Bonita Beach Road and Imperial Streets on Tuesday morning.

It was those flags that caught at Winn's memory and reminded him of the reason he was driving with his son midweek -- Veterans Day.

They pulled in and sat on a stone bench, one with dreams of flying B-2's for the Air Force, the other the pastor of Living Waters Community Church.

They weren't the only ones.

More than 100 people sat on lawn chairs and benches or stood in the grass for the 15-minute Veterans Day ceremony at the Bonita Springs Cemetery hosted by Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4254.

Some came in shorts and T-shirts, others in their American Legion or VFW shirts and hats. A few, such as Dick Brann, wore full military dress.

Richard Neelans of Bonita Springs wore his U.S. Army fatigues, his uniform from his days in the Korean War, although now it's a bit baggy.

The 38-year retired veteran attended the service to honor fallen friends and servicemen.

"You can't forget," Neelans said. "You must honor the veterans who did the work for us, who fought and died for us. I hope nobody ever forgets the veterans."

Celebrated each Nov. 11, Veterans Day is held to honor all veterans, living and dead, retired or still wearing the uniform, something Bonita Springs Mayor Paul Pass made sure to address as he spoke to the crowd. He also made sure to include those in training and those who have never come home from war.

But most of all, he told those gathered among the gravestones -- including those of 154 veterans of various wars -- to thank a veteran.

"Be sure to shake a hand of a veteran," he urged those gathered. "Every time you think of your freedom of speech, it was not given to you by a poet -- it was given to you by a veteran."

After the ceremony, the Winns took a few minutes to walk among the headstones. And while it was the rows of waving American flags that drew them to the ceremony to honor the veterans, next year they might not get that reminder.

According to Ray Austin, commander of American Legion Post 303 in Bonita Springs, the VFW and Legion are in talks to move both the Memorial Day and Veterans Day celebrations to a safer location. Right now it's just talk, but with parking a problem at the cemetery, it's something they are looking into.

"It's a pretty setting, but for people's safety we'll do what we have to do," said Austin, who is considering holding the ceremonies behind either the Legion or the VFW where people wouldn't have to cross a busy four-lane road to park. "That's an option because of the parking. It's people's safety we're talking about."

Austin isn't worried the move will hurt attendance. He knows those who want to be part of the ceremony will find them.

Count the Winns as those who will find the ceremony from now on. This year may have been a fluke, but next year won't be.

"I think the younger generation always forgets the generation before us shed some blood to give us the ultimate freedom and this gives us the opportunity to give some thanks," Russell Winn said. "I like to expose my kids to that."