The annual La Vergne Veterans Day Ceremony is scheduled for November 11 at 11 a.m. at Veterans Memorial Park, located at 115 Floyd Mayfield Drive. This year’s speakers include Carol Haas, Jimmy Roman, Johnny Victory and Sal Gonzalez. There will also be a 21 gun salute and taps will be played.
There are also two ways for families and friends to honor their loved ones who have served in the armed forces.
Freedom Field Flags
The Parks Department will be offering commemorative American flags that can be purchased for $10.00. The flags will be on display in our Freedom Field and will also be marked with the honored veteran's information. Anyone interested should contact Parks and Recreation at (615) 793-3224 or stop by 294 Sand Hill Road for more details. Forms can also be filled out online.
Veterans Memorial Wall Bricks
The City of La Vergne is also building on its memorial wall to honor family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues who have served in the U.S. armed forces. The wall is a permanent commemorative display that is lined with bricks engraved with the names of honored men and women who have served our great country. If you have questions, contact the Parks and Recreation Department at 615-793-3224.
About Carol Haas
Carol Haas was born in Tullahoma, TN. She and her son LJ joined the La Vergne community in 1997. She was commissioned as a 2LT in the US Army Reserves in 1984 and has served in four deployments to the Middle East, Persian Gulf War and three tours in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom before retiring at LTC in 2009. Haas is now a Division Administrator at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and has been a part of the Vanderbilt community for over 30 years. She is a member of Box 100, the La Vergne Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee and the La Vergne Senior Center Advisory Committee.
About Jimmy Roman
Jimmy Roman was born and raised in Florida. He attended the University of Florida where he obtained a master’s degree in automotive technology systems, a bachelor’s degree in automotive engineering and an associate’s degree in computer science. He is also an A.S.E master level certified technician. He enlisted in the United States Army in 1998 as a vehicle maintenance operations specialist, becoming a Technical Services Officer and Maintenance Shop Commanding Officer in 2004. He then became the Aviation Maintenance Officer in 2005 until medically retiring in 2016. He became the Operations Contract Director for the Smyrna V.T.S. National Guard Base in 2016 and continues to serve in this role today. In 2019, he enlisted as an officer in the Tennessee State Guard in the engineering department and in 2020 became the Director of Engineering for the Tennessee State Guard. He currently holds the rank of Captain.
About Johnny Victory
Johnny Victory has been a member of Rolling Thunder TN1 for four years. He has served as a Board Member, Vice-President, and is currently on his second term as President. He is a lifelong resident of Rutherford County. He served in the US Army, 2nd Armor Division. Mr. Victory joined Rolling Thunder with a strong belief in their POW/MIA mission and to help other veterans who served their country.
About Sal Gonzalez
Sal Gonzalez is a singer/songwriter/actor/podcaster and a retired United States Marine. Gonzalez made the pledge to fight for the honor of his country following the terrorist attack on the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001. This pledge led Sal to the United States Marine Corps recruiting office where he enlisted immediately after graduating high school. Retiring in 2005 from wounds received in combat, Sal went on to pursue his dreams of making music by moving to Nashville in 2006. Sal has shared the stage with the likes of Charlie Daniels, Keith Urban and Jason Michael Carrol all while acting on the show “Nashville” and working as a spokesperson for organizations like Wounded Warrior Project, Semper Fi fund and #stop22tour.
