Here are all the events planned for Veterans Day 2022 in Bradenton-Sarasota
Anthony Hardie, an Army veteran and Bradenton resident who has long advocated for veterans suffering from Gulf War illness, will be the keynote speaker in Bradenton for the Veterans Day service 11 a.m. Friday.
The service, sponsored by the Manatee County Veterans Council, is being moved to a closed ceremony inside the Board of County Commissioners Chamber because of Tropical Storm Nicole. The event will be filmed by METV and live streamed.
Hardie has served as national chair and director for Veterans for Common Sense since 2014, is a nationally recognized advocate for vets with Gulf War Illness and has testified before Congress numerous times.
In August, he was invited into the East Room of the White House to watch as President Joe Biden signed the PACT Act.
The PACT Act expands and extends eligibility for Veterans Administration health care for veterans with toxic exposures and veterans of the Vietnam and Gulf wars and post-9/11 eras.
“It was pretty moving to see the survivors of veterans sitting there. I sat in a quiet moment of reflection thinking of countless veterans I have known who died from toxic wounds,” Hardie told the Bradenton Herald at the time.
Hardie served with the U.S Army from 1986 though 1993, including six overseas tours of duty, among them combat tours in Somalia and the 1991 Gulf War.
His military awards include the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, four awards of the Army Commendation Medal, six awards of the Army Achievement Award, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Award, the Humanitarian Service Medal and others.
Old Soldiers and Sailors Parade
The Annual Anna Maria Old Soldiers and Sailors Parade is planned for 1 p.m. Friday. The parade starts at Anna Maria City Hall, 10005 Gulf Drive and moves down Pine Avenue to City Pier Park.
Road closures include:
▪ Pine Avenue, starting at 9 a.m.
▪ South Bay Boulevard from Spring Avenue to Pine Avenue and North Bay Boulevard from Pine Avenue to the north end of Bayfront Park will close at 9 a.m.
▪ Gulf Drive between Magnolia and Pine avenues will close as early as 11 a.m.
Roads will reopen as soon as safely possible after the parade.
Trolley stop bypasses/relocations from 9 a.m. to about 3 p.m. All Pine Avenue stops will be bypassed. The City Pier stop will be relocated to Spring Avenue at South Bay Boulevard.
For questions, contact Amy Moriarty at 941-708-6130, ext. 110, or email at amsradmin@cityofannamaria.com.
Veterans Day in Sarasota
The City of Sarasota and the Sarasota Patriotic Observance Committee are co-hosting the annual Veterans Day Parade 10 a.m. Friday, in downtown Sarasota. There will be several road closures and vehicle tow-away zones for the parade. Street closures on Friday:
▪ 8 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.: Main Street closed from U.S. 301 to Mira Mar Court
▪ 8 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.: Main Street closed from Mira Mar Court to U.S. 41
▪ 8 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.: Osprey Avenue from Fruitville Road to Ringling Boulevard
▪ 8 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.: Pineapple Avenue closed from State Street to First Street
▪ 8 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.: Links Avenue from Fruitville Road to Ringling Boulevard
▪ 8 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.: First Street closed from Pineapple Avenue to Central Avenue
▪ 8 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.: Central Avenue closed from Main Street to First Street
▪ 8 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.: Gulfstream Avenue closed from Cocoanut to McAnsh Square
Vehicles not removed by the posted time will be towed at the owner’s expense. For information on towed vehicles, contact Upman’s Towing at 941-365-7084.
Sarasota National Cemetery
A Catholic Memorial Mass will be given by Most Reverend Frank J. Dewane, Bishop of the Diocese of Venice, along with the priests, deacons and Knights of Columbus. 2:45 p.m. Friday at Patriot Plaza, 9810 State Highway 72, Sarasota.
Parking and seating are available on site, and transportation from parking to the amphitheater will be provided.
More about Veterans Day
Veterans Day originated as Armistice Day on Nov. 11, 1919, the first anniversary of the end of World War I. Congress passed a resolution in 1926 making it an annual observance, and it became a national holiday in 1938. In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed legislation changing the name to Veterans Day to honor all those who served their country during war or peacetime.
In 2021, Manatee County had about 34,114 veterans. Sarasota County had an estimated 42,041.
