Delta-429 support unit celebrates Veterans Day
Published 9:13 am Friday, November 14, 2014
After eating a complimentary meal provided to all veterans including this photographer by Applebee’s, the group invited all veterans that were present in the restaurant to join with them in a photo. One couple that just happen to be traveling through Franklin and had stopped by Applebee’s was Cindy and Jim McDonald of Norfolk, who gladly accepted their invitation. Front, from left, Ernest Spratley, Cindy McDonald, Demetreious Mathews and Maryland Pope; back, in no particular order, Cullen Ricks, Ernest Freeman, Abraham Urquhart, Richard Bradshaw, James Hawks, Joseph Shearin, Ray Smith, Shelton Artis, Tony Smith, Jovan Stith, Edward Pierce, Antonio Jones, James Postell, Samuel Darden and Jim McDonald. — Frank Davis | Tidewater News
FRANKLIN
A high time of celebration, camaraderie, fellowship and food was the order of the day as a group of Army veterans celebrated Veterans Day at Applebee’s in Franklin. But this was no ordinary group of men, as many of them have served together at the Franklin National Guard unit. This group, of which many are now retired, is now known as the Delta-429.
“This unit of veterans have been together since 1978 until the present,” said the coordinator/chaplain of the group, Demetreious Mathews of Capron.
Mathews said that for the past nine years the group has gotten together every Veterans Day for an annual meeting and dinner. During this time the men share information and update themselves on new veterans policies. One of the items discussed this year was a new identification card for retirees. Mathews also shared a recent copy of an article written in The Tidewater News by Congressman Randy Forbes about fives things that you don’t know about Veterans Day.
As Delta-429 fellowshipped and shared many tales of past years, other veterans, customers and staff of Applebee’s that day also stopped by their table to thank them for their service to the United States of America.
