General Kelly and Commissioner Jay Honor Knox Vets
By Mike Steely
Senior Writer
steelym@knoxfocus.com
Knox County At-large Commissioner Larsen Jay had no idea that the turnout would be so huge for the veterans luncheon he hosted last Wednesday. Although he’s campaigning for Knox County Mayor, the event at the Bridgewater Center had little to do with local politics and lots to do with honoring the veterans of all the military services.
The program kicked off following lunch with the presentation of colors by the South-Doyle High School Army JROTC Honor Guard, Cherokee Battalion. Jason Hardy, director of the Knoxville Opera, sang “The Star-Spangled Banner,” and Rev. Pat Polis, president of the United Veterans Council, gave the invocation.
Knoxville Mayor Glenn Jacobs spoke briefly about Operation Hero’s Hill, saying that the 20 new tiny homes being built by local high school students should be ready for a groundbreaking in February.
Jay introduced General John F. Kelly as giving 40 years of service in uniform and in national government. Kelly honored the efforts locally to create housing for homeless veterans and said military service changes a person, providing one with a broader view of the world.
Kelly answered questions from Jay and, in one response noted that 23 percent of young people are not qualified to serve in the military, but asserted that those who do serve, as veterans, are held in high regard by the majority of the population.
When asked about what he has learned over the years, Kelly replied, “Devotion to the Constitution and the Rule of Law.”
The retired Marine leader served as U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security and as President Trump’s chief of staff.
