CHATSWORTH, Ga. — Throughout the years, Murray County has had active veterans organizations, and the community has come together with several Veterans Day events. 

The one thing missing was a parade. That was until Jerry Herndon and Superior Court Clerk of Court Donna Flood had a conversation during last year’s Veterans Day celebration at Veterans Park.

“It is one of those things that has probably been thought about time after time, but nobody has stepped up and done it,” said Herndon of Peeples Funeral Home of Chatsworth. “Donna and I were talking at the Veterans Day event here last year and she mentioned that it would be good to have a parade in Murray County. It had been on my heart, too, for a number of years, but we really didn’t know how to get it started. We just sort of went from there.”

The first parade of what organizers hope becomes an annual tradition will be Saturday in Chatsworth. The parade will begin at 1 p.m. and parade entrants will organize at the Murray County Saddle Club. The route will travel north on Highway 411, turn east on Oak Street and then south on Third Avenue before returning to the Saddle Club. 

The deadline for parade entrants is today at noon. To register for the event, contact the Chatsworth-Eton-Murray County Chamber of Commerce at (706) 695-6060.

Herndon said he is pleased with the response from the community with more than 30 parade entrants. 

“We’ve got a lot of excitement and a lot of people coming together,” Herndon said. “We need to remember their (veterans’) service because it is why we are able to enjoy the life we lead today. It is important to recognize that.”

Flood said she and Herndon both have family members who have served in the military. Flood’s grandfather John Flood served in World War II, and her father Glenn Flood is a Vietnam War veteran. Herndon’s father — Hubert Herndon — served in the Korean War.  

“I just feel like these veterans need to be recognized within our community,” Flood said. “I love our community coming together like this.”

The parade will be just the kickoff of celebrating veterans in Murray County. The community will have a Veterans Day program on Saturday, Nov. 10, at Veterans Park at 11 a.m. The program will feature the Woodlawn Elementary Chorus, bagpipe memorial playing and a keynote speech by Rock Bridge Community Church Pastor Matt Evans. A lunch of hot dogs and hamburgers will be served. 

While this year’s parade will be a standalone event, Flood said they hope to expand it with a gathering downtown after the parade in years to come. 

“It is the first year, but we definitely have other plans we would like to see,” Flood said. “There have been a lot of churches that would like to be involved and put together some sort of ‘thank you’ for our veterans. That is something we will look at in the future.”