Veterans Event Coming To Lakewood Nov. 11

LAKEWOOD, OH — During Lakewood's annual Veterans Day Ceremony on Nov. 11, Joe Benedict, a Vietnam War veteran, will deliver a keynote speech in front of the city's Veterans Memorial in Lakewood Park. The event will begin at 11 a.m. that Saturday.

Each year, Lakewood honors the men and women that have served in the armed forces with an event on Veterans Day. The ceremony begins with a presentation of colors followed by a performance of the National Anthem led by the Lakewood High School Ranger Marching Band.

Then Benedict will deliver his keynote address.

Born in 1946, Benedict's father spent most of his career as a member of the U.S. Navy. He and his family moved around the nation frequently. They settled in Parma in 1963, where Joe graduated high school in 1964.

Following in his father's footsteps, Joe enrolled in Navy boot camp a week after his graduation from Parma Senior High. He served with a fighter squadron until his discharge in 1968. He did one tour of Vietnam.

After leaving the military he found a career with Warwick Communications, where he worked for 37 years. He retired in 2009.

Joe is a member of Vietnam Veterans Chapter 15 and is Commander of the Polish Legion of American Veterans Post 30. He's also a member of the Joint Veterans Honor Guard and is President of Honor Flight Cleveland.

Joe and his wife, Kathy, live in Old Brooklyn. They have two adult daughters and three grandchildren.

This year's Veterans Day ceremony will also include a poem by Bill Knittle and a 21-gun salute by the Joint Veterans Honor Guard. Coffee and doughnuts will be offered by the Woman's Club Pavilion at Lakewood Park, after the ceremony.

The event is free and open to the public.

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