The Veterans Council of Hillsborough County and the Waterman-Twining Chapter of the Air & Space Forces Association are joining together to commemorate the 35th anniversary of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm at 10 a.m. on Friday, March 6. The event will be at the Veterans Memorial Park & Rear Admiral LeRoy Collins, Jr. Veterans Museum, located at 3602 N. U.S. 301 in Tampa.
In recognition of those who served in the Persian Gulf conflict from August 1990 to February 1991, the inaugural event will feature:
- The MacDill Air Force Base Honor Guard, managed by the 6th Force Support Squadron.
- Keynote speaker retired United States Air Force Lt. Gen. David Deptula, an aerospace expert and principal attack planner for the Operation Desert Storm coalition air campaign.
- Awards to local Gulf War veterans of the United States Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines, Navy and Special Operations.
- Free refreshments and fellowship following the ceremony.
Special Gulf War Veteran Awards will be presented during the 35th anniversary Gulf War Commemoration event.
The event is free and open to the public in the amphitheater at Veterans Memorial Park.
For more information on Hillsborough County’s Veterans Memorial Park & Museum, visit https://hcfl.gov/departments/veteran-community-services or call 813-635-8316.
The Veterans Memorial Park & Rear Admiral LeRoy Collins, Jr. Veterans Museum was established to provide a centralized location to which all citizens and visitors could memorialize and honor the veterans of all eras. The park also serves as a location for regional ceremonies on Veterans Day, Memorial Day and Patriot Day, along with a variety of other organized events. It has a reputation as a well-designed location for reading, reflection, meditation, picnicking, gathering as a family and/or walking/jogging its many paths, and it has fitness stations along the trail of the Bypass Canal.
Learn more about volunteering at the museum at https://hcfl.gov/locations/veterans-memorial-park-and-museum.
The Veterans Resource Center is also located on the grounds of the park in building 3610 and offers services for veterans.
The park has 14 war memorials, which currently include:
- Iraq
- Afghanistan
- Korea
- Vietnam
- World War I
- World War II
- Spanish American
- Fallen Heroes
- Committed Forces
Additionally, to watch a Stitches of Duty video, filmed at the memorial park, visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtWr03dxPu4.
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