TUSCOLA — Tuscola residents serving in the military are being formally recognized in the community.
A ceremony was held on Veterans Day at Ervin Park to highlight the Tuscola Serves project, which recognizes those from the community who are serving in the armed forces.
Following a service at the Douglas County Courthouse organized by the local VFW and American Legion posts, a parade was held downtown and ending at the park for the dedication/ribbon-cutting ceremony. Mayor Dan Kleiss, Sean Conner of the VFW post and Carmen Morgan spoke.
Kleiss praised Morgan for bringing the Tuscola Serves idea to the city council and helping to organize it.
Morgan, whose son, Cade, is serving in the Navy, said the idea for the project came from another mom who has a child also serving in the military.
She said the community had a similar project like Tuscola Serves several years ago, but it was difficult to keep track of those serving.
Morgan started the project by having Tuscola residents and graduates who are serving in the military fill out a Google form. She received a grant from Tuscola Community Foundation that got the process rolling to make the signs.
She praised the cooperation of the VFW post for assisting in the project, including use of the post’s nonprofit status.
Thirty-one signs are part of Tuscola Serves project, with more to be added. The signs will be presented to the servicemen and -women at the conclusion of their service.
Morgan, a fifth-grade teacher at Tuscola’s East Prairie Middle School, said her son is stationed aboard the USS Nimitz, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier currently deployed in the Persian Gulf.In another Tuscola veterans-related matter, Conner told the city council at its October meeting that the Toys for Toys project would start Nov. 14. Residents donated 3,192 toys for 449 children last year.
