It was a day to remember veterans and their service to America. In that spirit, the downtown area of Senoia was flooded with people taking part in the 10th Annual Memorial Day Remembrance and Festival.
It is always difficult to determine the number of people attending the Memorial Day events in Senoia, though that number easily runs into the thousands.
The day began at 10 a.m. and ran through the afternoon, with a mass of people lining Main Street at 2 p.m. for the annual parade that included nearly 60 entries.
The keynote speaker for the day’s events was World War II Army veteran William Gatlin, who was captured by the Germans five days after D-Day and spent the remainder of the war as a POW.
Gatlin was joined on Memorial Day by a host of other veterans, all of whom were honored in the remembrance ceremonies.
Performing again this year was the 116th Army Band and providing a 21-gun salute and cannon fire was a local Sons of Confederate Veterans group following the observance of the National Moment of Silence.
Also part of the events were the Georgia Dolls baton twirlers and the Godin Family Singers. The Masonic Lodge was open for a “meet and greet” for veterans and the Senoia Area Historical Society presented a military exhibit.
The day-long series of events included a selection of activities for the kids and plenty of food.
The only thing missing from Memorial Day was the annual fireworks display that had to be postponed due to the threat of lightning.
