By MATT PIKE
St. Joseph Post
A ceremony next week will honor those lives lost on September 11th, while also paying tribute to Vietnam War veterans and those lost in action or taken prisoner.
Patriot Day Tribute Committee Member Terry Beasley says the event will feature several guest speakers
"We have Reverend John Welch, a retired Army Chaplain, from the Missouri Guard, we're going to have Missouri State Highway Trooper Andy Henry," Beasley says on the KFEQmunnity show. "We're going to have Phil Vandel, who I'm sure most of your listeners have heard some of his music before, and we're going to have members of the Central High School Junior ROTC to help put this event on and special presentation."
Beasley says the event will also feature a Missouri Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall display
"It sort of replicates the wall that you would see out in DC with the black marbling and the names, and that has become a really popular event, because once you see it people get moved and they start looking for names and before you know it they find names that they're familiar with," Beasley explains.
A featured speaker during the event will be Captain Guy Gruters, the inspiration for local author Milt Toratti's book "Faith Conquers Through Courage Tested"
Beasley says everything will tie together through what Gruters speaks about as a nationally recognized motivational speaker
"We're talking about the Vietnam war in a war setting, but what is the talk, the presentation really about, and that's where the title comes into play, Faith Conquers Through Courage Tested," Beasley says. "This presentation is going to be how faith can save you from the most horrendous challenges that you would think would be impossible to live through."
Copies of Toratti's book will be for sale during the event. Signed copies will be available for $30
Tickets to the event can be purchased in advance by contacting Toratti at 816 205 3776 or Beasley at 816 248 0849. Tickets cost $10 for adults, and $5 for those 18 and under. All proceeds go to the Cameron Veterans Home Assistance League