St. Petersburg hosts 10th Annual Veterans Day event

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Dozens of people gathered in Downtown St. Pete Saturday morning for the 10th Annual Veterans Day event.

The ceremony kicked off at 9 a.m. at Williams Park's World Heroes Memorial where Mayor Ken Welch gave two local veterans Honored Veteran Awards.

The first hero honored was retired U.S. Army Colonel Lucie Marie Stagg. She served multiple wars and conflicts like the Desert Storm, Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia, and more.

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She also worked at the Pentagon during the September 11th, 2001, attacks.

"Veterans Day is primarily a celebration, more of a birthday honoring someone who has just now serving, someone who has been in for many years, maybe someone who has retired. To show that those ties still bind. You are in fact, a soldier forever, a marine for life," she said. "You have this group around you that goes on until you're memorialized, and it's just a good family and it's means for you to say, 'you're welcome' as a Veteran for those who are saying 'thank you'".

Now, Col. Stagg works in Downtown St. Pete with aging athletes.

"I've had roughly twelve surgeries of my own. Everything from knee surgery, ankles, shoulders, jaw, hand, you name it," she said. "But it gives me a perspective and an empathy for people who have gone through similar trials that they can get through it, that they do have the ability to strengthen themselves and to overcome adversity."

The other veteran awarded was retired Senior Airman Louis Williams, who served nine years in the U.S. Army and four years in the Air Force.

"Today is a day of recognition and it goes beyond me. There's so many others that traveled this path and if I could, I would like to have them all here and share this stage," he shared.

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Senior Airman Williams toured Vietnam and is a cancer survivor. On Saturday, he dedicated his award to his fellow veterans.

"I see guys when I go to the VA who have lost a leg, lost an arm, and I thank God that I was fortunate because I always say it could have been me," he said. "There's so many other people that could've been, should've been standing here in my spot. I have some friends that are experiencing health difficulties that I've maintained contact with since 1956. We were in service together."

St. Pete Police Chief Anthony Holloway also made an appearance.

"What it means to us is to really take time to recognize the men and women that sacrificed everything for us. The reason why we're here today is because these men and women sacrificed their lives so that we have the country that we live in now," he said.