This old sailor from WWII thanks everyone in the wonderful crowd that assembled for the Peachtree City Memorial Day Ceremony.

I want to extend this thanks on behalf of my comrades in VFW Post 9949, all those currently serving in the military, all other veterans who attended, those veterans who would have liked to attend but couldn’t because of infirmities and finally on behalf of all our fallen heroes and their families. It was this last group that we were there to honor and remember.

One way you showed your gratitude for their faithful service was by wearing a red VFW Buddy Poppy, “The Flower of Remembrance.” Nearly all of you did this as we distributed just over 500 flowers to the assembly of patriots.

I know we missed some of you who were in the golf cart parade and even some of you came to our display table and picked up a poppy after the service concluded.

VFW Post 9949 had an outstanding distribution of poppies over this Memorial Day period as we distributed over 4,900 poppies and collected a record $5,124.60 that included $621.50 from your donations on Memorial Day.

The Memorial Day part of this total exceeded our previous high by 200 percent. The total collected on Saturday, May 27, in front of four stores in Peachtree City was also a record for a single-day collection. Thank you so much for your generosity to veterans and the families of veterans.

Another way you can honor veterans is by placing a commemorative brick around the Peachtree City Veterans Memorial. You may place a brick for any of our current military personnel and for any and all honorably discharged veterans regardless of when they served or where they live.

The Davenport family of Coweta County currently holds the record of having 11 bricks honoring their family members who have served. Bricks are $30 and are ordered and installed each year just before our Memorial Day Ceremony.

Brick applications are available in the Peachtree City Library and by writing VFW Post 9949, 117 Chadwick Drive, Peachtree City, GA 30269 or by calling 770-631-1439.

I record the location of each brick and can pinpoint the location of your brick if you have not found your bricks. Bricks for family members are placed so they are contiguous.

Thanks again for attending the Memorial Day Ceremony, your support of the VFW Post 9949 Buddy Poppy distribution and for your generous support of our Veterans Relief Fund.

Bob Konrad, WWII Navy Veteran
Quartermaster VFW Post 9949
Peachtree City, Ga.

login to post comments