- April 28, 2024
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Veteran Services' David Lydon presents the Veteran of the Year award to Randall Stapleford. Photo by Sierra Williams
Girl Scout Emma Beckford watches the Veterans Days Ceremony. Photo by Sierra Williams
U.S. Navy Veteran Dan Kernis with his wife Kay. Dan Kernis served in the Navy for 30 years and retired as a master chief. Photo by Sierra Williams
Veteran Services' David Lydon presents guest speaker Bill May, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, with a hand-carved wooden plaque. Photo by Sierra Williams
Palm Coast Fire engines blared their horns at residents watching the parade. Photo by Sierra Williams
Palm Coast City Manager Denise Bevan looks up as the FireFlight passes overhead, flying the American Flag. Photo by Sierra Williams
The Flagler County FireFlight flew over the Veterans Day Ceremony with a giant American Flag. Photo by Sierra Williams
Bunnell Police Chief David Brannon organized the Veterans Day Parade, the first in 60 years. Photo by Sierra Williams
The Flagler Palm Coast High School JROTC program. Photo by Sierra Williams
Astrid Clarke Addona with her husband Frank Addona and their son Brendan, 5. Photo by Sierra Williams
Girl Scout Stephanie Bickert waves an American Flag at the Veterans Day Ceremony. Photo by Sierra Williams
Florida Congressman Michael Waltz, a retired U.S. Army colonel, attend the parade and spoke at the Veterans Day Ceremony. Photo by Sierra Williams
The Veterans Day Parade had cars entered from a variety of different organizations and groups. Palm Coast Vice Mayor Ed Danko drove his Ford Thunderbird. Photo by Sierra Williams
Bunnell City Manager Alvin Jackson, Bunnell Mayor Catherine Robinson, Palm Coast City Manager Denise Bevan, County Administrator Heidi Petito and Bunnell Police Chief David Brannon. Photo by Sierra Williams
Girl Scout Trop 2143 marches in the parade. Photo by Sierra Williams
Howie and Alice Anesgart watch the Flagler County Veterans Day Parade. Photo by Sierra Williams
The Matanzas High School JROTC program in the Veterans Day Parade. Photo by Sierra Williams
Among the vehicles in the parade were several from the Flagler County Sheriff's Office. Photo by Sierra Williams
The DAV had several cars in the 2023 Veterans Day Parade. Photo by Sierra Williams
The Questell family watch the Veterans Day Parade. From left to right: Michelle holding her son Theo, 1, 2-year-old Colton and Glorida. Photo by Sierra Williams
The White, Castle and Jones families at the Veterans Day Parade. Photo by Sierra Williams
Cindy Hall with Dominique Hernandez and her children, Aiden, Amaya and Avelyn. Photo by Sierra Williams
The American Legion at the 2023 Veterans Day Parade. Photo by Sierra Williams
David Lydon, Flagler County Veterans Services officer, opened the ceremony. Photo by Sierra Williams
Veteran of the Year Randall Stapleford with his family: wife Rhonda, daughters Allison and Heather, and Brian Reynolds. Photo by Sierra Williams
The Community Chorus of Palm Coast performed at the Flagler County Veterans Day Ceremony. Photo by Sierra Williams
Delores Chambers-Dupuy and her husband James Dupuy, a U.S. Navy retiree. Photo by Sierra Williams
The crowds at the Flagler County 2023 Veterans Day Ceremony. Photo by Sierra Williams
Melanie DeMartino, Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin’s daughter, sang the national anthem. Photo by Sierra Williams
Vince Cautero, a U.S. Army veteran, closed out the ceremony with his rendition of “God Bless the U.S.A.” Photo by Sierra Williams
Renee Wickowski, the fiance of Palm Coast Vice Mayor Ed Danko, and Council member Cathy Heighter dance to Vince Cautero's rendition of “God Bless the U.S.A.” Photo by Sierra Williams
Flagler County celebrated Veterans Day with a ceremony and, for the first time in 60 years, a Veterans Day Parade.
The parade was organized by Bunnell Police Chief David Brannon and stretched from the historic Coquina City Hall building in Bunnell to the Flagler County Government Services Building on State Road 100. U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz was the parade's grand marshal.
The ceremony had William May — a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel and the commander of Disabled American Veterans Chapter 86 — as its guest speaker.
During the ceremony, former U.S. Navy Capt. Randall Stapleford was awarded the “Colonel Gary E. DeKay” Veteran of the Year Award.
"I am more than humbled," Stapleford said. "It is more than a reward to help people."
Stapleford served as a naval aviator in the Reserve Officer Training Corps and later, on active duty, as an air anti-submarine pilot. Veteran Services Officer David Lydon said Stapleford earned the “Wings of Gold” medal with 13 years of sea duty, 7,000 flight hours and over 1,000 aircraft carrier arrested landings.
After retiring from the Navy, Stapleford worked for the U.S. Department of State Antiterrorism Assistance Program. Later on, Stapleford joined then-Congressman Ron DeSantis’ staff and now works on Waltz’s staff as a military and veterans affairs outreach coordinator.
Stapleford also serves on the Flagler County Veterans Advisory Council.
Waltz said during the ceremony that America is unique in that it is the only country in the world that will send its own people to fight for other people's freedom.
"My sacred obligation — our sacred obligation — is not only to take care of the men and women that are out there right now," he said, "but to take care of the ones who have served in the past."
Waltz said the nation needs to continue showing support for its veterans and inspiring the county's youth to serve.
"We are coming together much more than the news reports," Waltz said. "But I think we can do better."
