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The Hogansville American Legion branch, post 152, will host a Veteran’s Day celebration to pay tribute to all area veterans and will pay special honor to Gulf War veterans who fought in Operation Desert Storm, which launched on Feb. 24, 1991, 30 years ago.

The event will feature Desert Storm veteran Maurice Marshall as the keynote speaker and Arthur Ray Torres as the 2021 Veteran of the year. Leading the event for the 13^th straight year will be area local and former Hogansville city council member George Bailey, who is also a Desert Storm veteran.

“We fought against Saddam Hussein … and we were the artillery guys,” he said.

Bailey served alongside Marshall served in their artillery unit, he said.

Bailey noted the Gulf War as a short conflict, as it lasted just over a month, but still a remarkable one in terms of deaths.

According to the Defense Casualty Analysis System, which the Defense Manpower Data Center maintains, 298 U.S. military personnel were killed.

However, civilian deaths resulting from the conflict are estimated to be as many 200,000.

The event will also include patriotic singing from students at Hogansville Elementary School and a quilt of valor from the Hometown Quilt Shop in Hogansville.

The event will take place at Calvin Hipp Park beginning at 11 a.m. If it rains, the event will be relocated into the Presbyterian Church across from the park.