Post 152 American Legion hosted a Veterans Day Celebration on Friday at Calvin Hipp Park in Hogansville with special keynote speaker Judge Ralph Bailey Jr.

Post 152 members invited many veterans from all over Troup County to participate in the festivities and fellowship of the event along with members of the community.

Former Hogansville City Councilman and veteran, George Bailey, was a key factor in making the event happen from sending out invitations to veterans to inviting the keynote speaker himself. Though some members of the community could not attend, the turnout of the event was greatly appreciated by Bailey.

“I am thankful to everybody for coming out today and to the great speaker we had,” Bailey said. “I am proud of the turnout, and I think we’ll get even bigger as the city grows, and I hope to continue doing this for at least another five years.”

As a veteran himself, Judge Bailey was given the opportunity to speak at the event sharing not only his gratitude for other service members, but also his appreciation for what the military has done for him and his career.

“I feel humbled and grateful to have this opportunity to come here in Hogansville and deliver the keynote address for our veterans,” Judge Bailey said. “My family served including my grandfather, my father, and my father-in-law, so Veterans Day is something that is very special to me, and I think this is an amazing event and day.”

Though the event was a success, members from Post 152 encouraged members of the community to be more involved in the well-being of the veterans in Troup County. Post 152 member of 17 years, Arthur Torres, has seen many of the ups and downs of the organization along with recent financial struggles due to the economic decline of the country.

“The Hogansville post is barely hanging on, but we have to pay bills, and we have to pay insurance,” Torres said. “The building is paid for and everything, but when you only have so many members and that are getting older, finding ways to generate funds is a challenge.”

Post 152 has brought veterans from various backgrounds together including, politicians, police officers, firefighters, and more. However, Torres also encouraged younger veterans to participate more in the veteran community of Hogansville.

“You know younger veterans don’t get as involved as the older veterans, but they should because they’ve been through things that most people won’t go through,” Torres said. “They feel that they don’t need the help, but everybody that was in the service should meet up with other service members and talk to just blow off steam or to even reminisce.”

Tasha Burks represented Acti-Kare at the event, a home health agency in LaGrange that offers services to many old and disabled veterans. Burks not only showed up for her organization, but she was also invited to perform the National Anthem for the event.

“I enjoyed being here today and it was such an honor to sing at such a large event,” Burks said. “I was just glad to be a part of everything, and I hope to see more of the community coming together like this in the future.”