Coral Springs honored military veterans and those who died serving the nation while in uniform during a Memorial Day ceremony at Veterans Park.
Brandon Casella, a U.S. Army veteran with 16 years of service was the keynote speaker. He joined the Army shortly after the 9/11 attacks while a senior in high school. He served in Iraq and was part of a task force in Afghanistan. While training to become an Army officer he was re-activated and re-deployed in 2009 to Iraq. He re-enlisted as a Human Intelligence Collector where he finished his career.
During his speech, Casella described some of the challenges and ups and downs of military service. When Casella described the culture shock of basic training some of the older veterans chuckled. Casella described how he was shipped to various military installations and bases during his career and some of the interesting experiences he had. Casella also described the experience of losing three fellow soldiers during an attack situation. “Today we honor the military personnel who died while serving their nation,” he said.
Mayor Brook also spoke. “Today we honor our fallen heroes from across the nation and our local community. They gave their lives to protect our freedom. We should always remember their service,” he said.
The Memorial Day ceremony included a presentation of colors and the placing of the wreath by the Coral Springs-Parkland Fire Department Honor Guard. The Fire Department Honor Guard also gave a bag pipe presentation. Taps were played by the Coral Springs Police Honor Guard. There was a gun volley. The invocation and benediction were given by Pastor Randal Cutter. Ernie Kubasek of the Veterans Coalition spoke and introduced the Mayor and Keynote speaker. Members of the Coral Springs Commission and community leaders attended the event. Military veterans of various ages and experiences attended.
Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday in May. It was originally known as Decoration Day. It is a federal holiday to honor the U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the military. Many people visit cemeteries on Memorial Day to honor individuals who died while serving in the military. Volunteers often place American flags on the graves of military personnel in cemeteries.
