KERNERSVILLE, N.C. — Freedom isn't free, which is why a priceless event honoring our heroes is a crucial calling for the community to gather to support Triad veterans.
Saturday, June 3, Veterans Bridge Home and American Heroes for NC will co-host the annual Veterans Appreciation day at the second-largest veterans memorial on the East Coast -- the Carolina Field of Honor in Kernersville.
Back to full scale since the pandemic, hundreds of community members, veterans and their families will converge to enjoy a full day of fun. The 2023 celebration will feature numerous musical performances, including the nationally-acclaimed musical group American Bombshells (the 'modern-day Andrews Sisters'). Children can enjoy bounce houses, as their parents grab refreshments from the food trucks on site.
The noon ceremony will honor all branches of the Armed Forces, and military vendors will space out around the park to offer information about military transition services in the Triad.
Hoffman said events like Veterans Appreciation Day show Triad veterans they are not alone, and they can live, work and play here -- with the support they might need for a peaceful transition. The timing of this year's Veterans Appreciation Day, he acknowledged, comes at a crucial time, particularly as America prepares to mark the second anniversary of the withdrawal from Afghanistan.
"We see 250,000 men and women come out of military services to come into our communities. We want to engage them in our communities. We want them to be here. Making that transition, sometimes, can be difficult," Hoffman said.
The event's co-sponsors are preparing to merge, a move Veterans Bridge Home general counsel Jim Hoffman emphasized will expand resources for Triad military families.
"We're going to have now the opportunity -- a powerhouse of the two organizations coming together (with) over 50 employees here in the Carolinas and five active employees right here (in Greensboro) to serve veterans to make sure they know where to go to get the services they need," he said.
Event details:
- Sat., June 3
- 11 - 4 (ceremony at noon)
- Carolina Field of Honor (Triad Park)
- 9652 West Market St. Kernersville, NC 27284
- Parking available on site (volunteers will direct)
