Veterans recognized at Jefferson County Fair
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SMITHFIELD -- Members of the Jefferson County Veterans Association were honored during Saturday’s annual parade at the Jefferson County Fair.
Ray Hilderbrand, president of the county fair board, provided a special float for the veterans to ride on. Members of the veterans group tossed candy to the children who lined th parade route.
The veterans group helped to officially open the fair on Aug. 17 by raising the American flag.
Members of the organization established the Fort Friendship Military Museum in 1995 and maintain it. Among the items on display are a mid-1950s F-89 Cold War fighter plane, a Vietnam-era observation plain, a tank, a howitzer, Navy anti-aircraft guns, a cannon and a replica of the Statue of Liberty.
It includes the Memorial Wall and Sheriff Fred Abdalla Sr. shelter, which houses an alphabetical listing to locate one of the names of the 888 displayed on the Memorial Wall. The organization presents Veterans Day and Memorial Day programs, the annual countywide veterans picnic, performs at the funerals of veterans, participates at school functions, donates to local charities and participates in county events and activities.