New location chosen to honor veterans
Veterans of all branches of military service will be honored on Veterans Day in Holmes County on Saturday, Nov. 11 at 11 a.m. The annual ceremony will be moved to a new location this year to offer a place with less noise and fewer distractions.
The Veterans Day ceremony, which saw its beginnings just over a decade ago, had been held on the lawn of the Holmes County courthouse in Millersburg each year.
“We wanted to move it and try something different this year,” said Jason Brooks, director of Holmes County Veterans Services. “Holding it on the square in town was very noisy with car and truck traffic passing by constantly. This year we’ll be at Holmes County Rails to Trails trail head just off Grant Street at the trail depot. We hope that will be much quieter.”
The ceremony, which is expected to last less than a half hour, will see patriotic music performed by the West Holmes High School band and a color guard made up of area veterans.
“When we began around 2006,” Brooks said, “there was no observance in place to honor area veterans. Now we typically see about 100 people who come out to honor those who have served in any capacity.”
The featured speaker for the commemoration will be Brant Kanuckel of Millersburg, a United States Army veteran who served two tours in Iraq during the Operation Iraqi Freedom campaign, which took place from 2003 until 2010 when it was renamed Operation New Dawn to reflect a reduced troop presence in the area. Kanuckel served in the army from 1999 until 2006 in the infantry division. He also served an 18-month tour of duty in North Korea.
Kanuckel said he was approached by a friend with connections to the Holmes County Veterans Services office about the possibility of speaking at the ceremony on Veterans Day. After expressing his willingness to speak, he was asked by Brooks to do so.
“I’ll talk a bit about my story and service,” Kanuckel said. “There was one particular soldier who was a part of my unit who died in Iraq, and I plan to share that story with the people who attend.”
Kanuckel is originally from Coshocton County and currently lives in Holmes County with his wife of nine years, Tessa, and their three young daughters.
“We will honor all branches of the service,” Brooks said, “all veterans of wartime, peacetime, all of them. It’s a day to show our appreciation for the veterans and what they have done for this country. We hope to see a good turnout for the event, and the new location should make things much better for everyone.”
The event is free and open to the public.
The Holmes County Veterans Services office offers assistance to veterans of the area including financial assistance when possible. The organization provides transportation, help with applications and document filing, pensions, U.S. Veterans Administration claims and more.
The office is located at 10 S. Clay St. in Millersburg. Reach them at 330-674-4806. The website is at www.co.holmes.oh.us/veterans-services-overview.
