Motorcycles, doughnuts and a flag retirement ceremony are all on the docket this Saturday at American Legion Captain Emerson J. Lonas Post 13 in Maryville, where organizers are combining a celebration of the country's 250th anniversary with the annual observance of Veterans Day. The event runs most of the day at the post, located at 224 Waters Road, with the parking lot opening at 8 a.m.
The dual-purpose gathering was detailed by The Daily Times, which reported that a flea market runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., while the American Legion Riders are hosting a Veterans Homecoming motorcycle ride that kicks off at 10:30 a.m. and lasts about an hour. Registration for riders, along with doughnuts and coffee, opens at 9:30 a.m., and the ride is donation-only, with all riders welcome and proceeds benefiting charities. A black powder weapons display is scheduled for 11 a.m., and riders are expected back at the post by 12:30 p.m., according to the same report.
Mayor's Remarks, Flag Retirement Round Out the Afternoon
Lunch is set for noon, followed by Blount County Mayor Jared Anderson's remarks at 1 p.m. A flag retirement ceremony starts at 1:10 p.m., with the Daughters of the American Revolution bringing ceremonial flags, and a black powder weapons demonstration follows at 1:45 p.m. Daniel Boling is also set to bring a hornsmith display to the grounds. Food service wraps up at 2 p.m. and the flea market closes at 3 p.m., per the Daily Times report.
Post 13 is extending the invitation broadly, welcoming veterans, their families and the wider community to attend. It's a pattern the post has leaned into before: a prior Veterans Day weekend celebration in Maryville, as described in a report from Yahoo News, included a memorial ride and multiple dinners hosted by the post.
Fellowship Drives the Mission, Members Say
For members, the appeal goes beyond the schedule of events. Garry Christopher, an Air Force veteran and Post 13 member, told the outlet that time spent with fellow veterans carries real weight for him, saying it means “sharing time with them and remembering the good times and the bad. Yeah, that means a lot to me.” Post commander Larry Grant framed the post's community events as part of its broader mission, saying the events help the post give back to the community, per the same account.
A Warrior Games Medalist Finds Support at Post 13
Among those expected at Saturday's motorcycle ride registration table is Jacob Miller, a 34-year-old U.S. Air Force veteran who lives in Townsend and whom Post 13 sponsored at the Warrior Games this year. Miller served in the Air Force for almost 11 years as a computer systems programmer, with stations at Wright-Patterson in Ohio and additional duty assignments in Montgomery and Biloxi, Mississippi, before being medically retired from service last year. He now has neurological problems and mobility limitations that require a wheelchair, and he has undergone surgeries and years of physical therapy.
At the Warrior Games — described as the military equivalent of the Paralympics and held in San Antonio with roughly 200 wounded, ill and injured service members and veterans competing — Miller competed in seated archery, seated discus throw and seated air pistol. He won silver medals in discus and shooting and met Great Britain's Prince Harry during the competition. Miller began archery in middle school but had no rifle training beforehand; his father, Scott Miller, said Jacob reached marksman status in basic training.
Miller, whose parents Laura and Scott both served in the Air Force and whose family originally hails from Ohio, has lived in 10 states over the years. He used Post 13's firing range to practice for the Warrior Games and said he was grateful for the post's support. He continues treatments with specialists for pain and said his goal now is to live independently.
