DeSoto is a Veteran Friendly City and on Saturday, November 7th, DeSoto Mayor Carl Sherman is urging us to pause again for the fourth year in a row, before the official day marked by the nation as Veterans Day, to honor our local veterans for their selfless sacrifice and service to protect our freedoms.
We encourage local businesses to salute all our veterans by providing them with special discounts on meals, services and/or products beginning Saturday, November 7th through Veterans Day, Wednesday, November 11th.
We hope all veterans and their families will join us on Saturday, November 7th at 9 am at the Jim Baugh Government Center located in DeSoto Town Center at 211 E. Pleasant Run Road, as we recognize our real heroes. We have a special appreciation ceremony planned featuring comments by U. S. Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, Texas State Senator Royce West and the Dallas VA Medical Center Director, Jeffrey Milligan. We will also unveil a veterans pictorial exhibit displaying approximately 65 veterans from our area. Decorated WWII Marine, R. V. Burgin, who is our oldest known veteran in the Best Southwest area, will also be on hand at the 9am ceremony to receive the Veterans Appreciation Day and Veterans Day proclamations from Mayor Sherman. Mr. Burgin's life was featured in the American Television series, The Pacific, which was produced by HBO, Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks.
Following the ceremony, activities move out to the plaza at DeSoto Town Center where the Mobile Vet Center will be providing information from more than fourteen Veterans Administration organizations. They will be available to answer questions on topics facing our veterans including filing for benefits, mental health issues and vocational rehab. They will also provide help with appointment scheduling. Representatives from the Veterans Texas Commission, the Dallas County Veterans Services Office, the Veterans Entrepreneur Program and the Texas Land Board Association will also be on hand. The event will include food, entertainment and fun for the whole family from 10 am to 2 pm.
For more information, please call 972-230-9648.