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Veterans Day Parade

 


Saturday, November 9, 2019, the Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s Office will proudly host our annual Veterans Day Parade in Nacogdoches. The parade is scheduled to start at 10:00 A.M. and will begin in front of TJR School on Mound Street. The Grand Marshall for the parade is Dee Jones. 


Dee Jones is a World War II veteran that proudly served our country in the United States Army. He joined the Army before World War II and trained hundreds, if not thousands, of young men to fight. Then he shipped out for the fight, helping break the Siegfried Line at Aachen, Germany — the first German city captured by the Allies.


Military records show that Jones registered for the peacetime draft on Oct. 16, 1940, more than a year before the U.S. entered World War II. Later records indicate he was inducted into the Army on Oct. 8, 1941, about two months before Pearl Harbor was bombed.


He was initially assigned to Camp Wheeler in Macon, Ga. The camp was a massive training facility before the war. During World War II, it was used as an infantry replacement training center where new recruits received basic and advanced training to replace combat casualties. More than 200,000 soldiers trained there.


He spent most of his time in Europe near Aachen. Troops there supported the ill-fated Operation Market Garden in the Netherlands and engaged in a hard-fought battle over the city in September and October 1944.


Aachen is what historians call a major battle. The town itself lies in the northwestern corner of where Germany borders both Belgium and the Netherlands. The city was heavily fortified as part of the Siegfried Line consisting of interconnected pillboxes, forts, minefields, and barbed wire 10 miles deep.


U.S. forces attacked the city from the north, then from the south over a period of two months. Fighting inside the city lasted most of October 1944. More than 2,000 Americans were killed in the battle and more than 5,000 were injured.


Dee Jones who is 100 years old currently lives in the city of Nacogdoches. He obtained the rank of Sergeant while serving our country honorably in the United States Army during World War II.     
The Nacogdoches County Sheriff Office is proud to pay tribute to Mr. Jones and all of our veterans that have served our country.

 

The parade will follow the traditional parade route through the downtown area along Hospital and Main Streets. We encourage our citizens to line the parade route and honor our veterans and troops by cheering, waving the U.S. flag, dressing patriotically or displaying signs or banners expressing your gratitude.

 

Check-in times for floats and vehicles will be between 8:45 - 9:30 A.M. Walking groups and animal groups should check-in between 9:30-9:45 A.M. If you plan to participate in the parade the check-in table will be set up on the Thomas J. Rusk (TJR) school parking lot at the corner of Arnold Street and N. Fredonia Street.

 

Following the parade, the Nacogdoches Sheriff’s Office will provide a luncheon for our veterans and their guests starting at 11:00 am. The luncheon will be held at First Methodist Church located at 201 E. Hospital Street in downtown Nacogdoches. The church is located near the Hotel Fredonia. Immediately after the parade, the sheriff’s office will distribute patches to participating scout and youth groups in front of TJR before joining our veterans at the Church, where they shall receive their patches. 

 

Anyone wanting to participate in the parade is encouraged to email cbennett@nac-sheriff.com or contact the Sheriff Office at 936-560-7794. 


We would also like to thank First Methodist Church for allowing us to use their facility. We hope that you can make plans to attend this great event to honor our veterans.

 

 

 

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