10The annual Veterans Day Parade in downtown Fayetteville will kick off Heroes Homecoming week. Cumberland County Veterans Council created Heroes Homecoming in 2011 as a way of showing all veterans that the community remembers and appreciates their courage, sacrifice and everything they did to defend our freedom.

The parade was canceled in 2020 and all events were limited to being virtual. This year, everything is back and in-person.

The overall theme this year will be honoring the Armed Forces medical personnel and first responders who served on the front lines over the past 18 months during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Grilley Mitchell, president, Cumberland County Veterans Council, said that the council decided to honor the medical forces earlier this year.

“They were the ones who were on the front lines treating people and the COVID situation. Not just nationwide but worldwide,” Mitchell said. “They are the heroes of today because they were there on the frontlines doing what was required of them to take care of the sick.”

The parade will feature several high school marching bands, a number of JROTC groups, military equipment, various organizations, color guards, churches and groups such as the Shriners. They will also feature members of the Fort Bragg community, including the 18th Airborne Corps and the U. S. Special Operations Command.According to the Cumberland County Veterans Council, there are about 52,000 veterans that live in Cumberland County.

That doesn’t include the Fort Bragg population of 545,926 soldiers and their 70,000 family members.

The two honorees this year are Sgt. Maj. Jacob "Jake" Roth and 1st Sgt. Lawrence "Bud" Wilson. Both Roth and Wilson are Korean War Prisoners of War.

“They are my heroes. Those two guys are living heroes,” Mitchell said. “They are living legends that you get to actually thank them in person for their sacrifice. I work with both of them, every time I'm with those guys, it's an honor and pleasure to be with them.”

The parade will kick off Nov. 6 at 10 a.m. and will take place on Hay Street by the Airborne and Special Operations Museum and end at Cool Spring and Person Streets, behind the courthouse.

Following the parade will be the City of Fayetteville’s Veterans Day Ceremony at the North Carolina Veterans Park.

Spectators are recommended to arrive early in order to find parking. Mitchell asks that people come out, have a good time and show appreciation to the military and the city’s veterans.