Photo by Eric Taunton.
Veteran Peyton Ligon reads his acceptance speech at the 2022 Hoover Freedom Awards at Hoover Country Club on July 21.
The Hoover Public Library plans to hold its annual veterans celebration on Nov. 6.
The day kicks off at 2 p.m. with a program in the Hoover Library Theatre honoring the winner of this year’s Freedom Award, given out by the Hoover Veterans Committee and Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce. This year’s winner is Peyton Ligon, a decorated veteran of the U.S. Army.
By the end of Ligon’s 27-year stint in the Army, he had received a Silver Star, Bronze Star with Valor, Purple Heart, combat infantry medal and expert infantry level, among several other awards.
As a member of the American Legion Ryan Winslow Post 911, Ligon has helped dozens of veterans and their dependents apply for government benefits and compensation and assisted veterans with financial needs by hosting fundraisers with the Legion, said Paul Pocopanni, chairman of the Hoover Veterans Committee.
At 2:30 p.m., the Alabama Youth Symphony will give a patriotic concert in the Library Theatre, to be followed by a reception with food for veterans at 3 p.m. in the lobby of the theater.
At 3:45 p.m., there will be a ceremony to lower the U.S. flag from the flagpole in front of the Hoover Public Library.
The library also plans to have a “walk of honor” with pictures of U.S. veterans from all wars displayed in the hallway that goes through the middle of the library. People who want to honor a veteran by adding a photo can call 205-444-7840 for more information.
There also will be a display to remember prisoners of war and people who went missing in action.
The library also each year holds a poster contest for children to create artwork in honor of veterans and displays some of the posters in the library. Children also can stop by the library Nov. 6-10 to get materials to make a craft for a veteran they want to honor.
The library and other city offices will be closed on Veterans Day, Nov. 11.
