by Michele Newbern Gillis
Staff Writer
Duval County Supervisor of Elections John Stafford has created the Honor a Vet Memorial Wall in the foyer of his office, which he dedicated during a ceremony Wednesday.
“This is something I have wanted to do,” said Stafford. “We were going to put up some recruiting posters, but then I found the ‘Reflections’ painting by Lee Teter [a memorial painting of a veteran reflecting on the past at the Vietnam Wall in Washington, D.C.] and it was very touching.”
He hung the “Reflections” painting along with pictures of local veterans as part of the wall.
“It’s just everyday people, that served their country. It kind of grew from there, so instead of a wall, it’s an entrance. It’s not just for the young people, but there are a lot of people who do not vote and they need to know the sacrifices people made and we are using that to try to address voter apathy,” said Stafford. “We are trying to get some people out to vote.”
As part of the Honor a Vet program, which was designed to remind young voters of the service and sacrifices veterans have made in the preservation of democracy and to encourage young voters to cast their votes in honor of the veterans, Stafford designed the foyer to showcase individual veterans and their contributions to the nation.
“All the supervisors of elections have a state-wide program where we are trying to get young people interested in voting,” said Stafford. “The angle that we are using is patterned after one they did in Pennsylvania which was, honor a vet with your vote. We are trying to get out to the schools and take veterans with us as part of our education plan. We want to let the students know what people have sacrificed so they have the right to vote.”
About 30 people attended the dedication, including members of the Supervisor of Elections Teen Advisory Board and representatives of several local veteran associations. The LaVilla Vocal Ensemble sang a selection of patriotic songs.
“Veterans are very special to me,” said Stafford. “I was in the Army National Guard for a while, but my dad is a U.S. Navy man and all my life he’s taught me about the importance of family values and the right to vote. He talks about the U.S. Navy all the time. My hero growing up was Audie Murphy, who wrote ‘To Hell and Back’ about his experiences in World War II. That book made a big impact on me and I realized the sacrifices veterans have made. He and my dad are my heroes.”