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Veterans' Day Ceremony & Parade
The Waynesville-St. Robert Area Chamber of Commerce and the cities of Waynesville and St. Robert hosted the 2024 Veterans' Day Ceremony and Parade on Monday, November 11th in Waynesville. The Ceremony honored Robert Duke,
the 2024 Veteran of the Year as well as all Veterans; the speakers
were Senator Justin Brown, State Representative Bill Hardwick,
Gene Newkirk, Pulaski County Presiding Commissioner, Sean Wilson,
City of Waynesville Mayor, John Moore, City of St. Robert Mayor
Pro Tem, and MG Christopher Beck, MSCoE and Fort Leonard Wood
Commanding General. Mr. Duke was presented with a Proclamation
from the Missouri Senate, a Resolution from the Missouri House
of Representatives, and a flag that was flown over the State
Capital Building. The Parade followed the ceremony starting
at the Waynesville Middle School, turning right on Old Route
66, and ending in Downtown Waynesville.
SFC (R) Robert L. Duke enlisted
and became a United States Army Infantry Soldier in 1997. In 2010,
he was assigned to Fort Leonard Wood as a Drill Sergeant until
2011 when he was diagnosed with a terminal brain disorder called
Spinocerebellar Ataxia (SCA), type 8. Robert medically retired
in 2013 with honorable conditions. Since then, Robert has continued
to be an asset to this community. He is a member of the Westside
Baptist Men's Ministry located in Waynesville, MO and a volunteer
for Peterson Outdoor Ministries headquartered out of Joplin, MO.
Despite his physical limitations and challenges, Robert never
complains and continues to be the first to volunteer even if the
job is tough and not in the spotlight. His selfless service was
recently displayed during the local windstorm which affected many
in Pulaski County on April 2nd of this year. Robert volunteered
assisting the COAD and OEM with the Westside Baptist Ministry
Emergency Response Crew. He even improvised his track chair system
to help pull debris and limbs to the roadway. Overall, Robert
completed over 61 hours of disaster relief and 20 missions.
2024 Veterans' Day Ceremony and Parade |
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