MARION, S.C. – City of Marion officials celebrated one of their own hometown heroes during Thursday’s annual Veterans Day Observance program at City Hall.
Purple Heart recipient and retired U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Donovan Eaddy discussed the need for supporting veterans.
“I think that we’re in a place now where we’re forgetting about our veterans,” he said.
Eaddy served as Marion County Office of Veterans Affairs director. Prior to that, he served in Paktika Province in Afghanistan and Rawa Iraq during the Second Gulf War.
“I was in Rawa Iraq during the time Saddam Hussein was overthrown,” he said. “The second time I was there was the time we were implementing the next leadership, and they did that based on what we do in America.”
Eaddy said the freedom of elections is because of the veterans that fought for it.
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“If you know any veteran or serviceman or woman out there thank them for what they do,” he said.
Eaddy said he also wants veterans to remember why they served and the public to know national defense helps law enforcement focus on their jurisdictions.
Eaddy is a Marion High School graduate with 20-years of experience in the military. He served two combat tours in Iraq and two in Afghanistan where he was wounded twice.
Eaddy now operates Marion Funeral Home.
U.S. Army veteran and Marion City Councilwoman Tassie Lewis also participated in the program along with Mayor Ashley Brady.
Marion continues to honor veterans with another program this week.
