‘A Salute to Service and Sacrifice ‘

Oct 15, 2025 By CRAIG GARRETT 3 min read

There are states with military veterans and the men and women on active duty.

Then there’s Florida, with more than 1.4 million vets and their families, tens of thousands of soldiers, sailors and airmen on some two dozen bases.

And that’s not including the American and foreign pilots preceding these heroes, those who trained in the Sunshine State during World War II, the many who served and/or paid the price in conflicts dating to the American Civil War and the Seminole Wars before then.

To honor these men and women in uniform, the Cape Coral Museum of History and its title sponsor Incredible Bank will host A Salute to Service and Sacrifice, a tribute to service members on Nov. 1.

The five-hour festival will have vet information tents, a vendor village, military vehicles, food trucks, a JROTC demonstration unit, entertainment, honor guards and more, including Cape veterans with stories to tell.

“It’s always important to thank a veteran for the sacrifices they’ve made, the wounds visible and invisible.,” ” said Lisa Arnold, commander of the Cape’s American Legion Post 90 with 1,700 members,

Combining Cape history with a traditional November salute to veterans seemed a natural fit, said Linda Biondi, museum board vice president and chair of A Salute to Service and Sacrifice, the city’s first such celebration.

“We’re going to have a good time that day,” Biondi added. “A very patriotic event.”

Where, when & what:

• 544 Cultural Park Boulevard, Nov. 1, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Museum has three buildings and three garden areas to explore. Free admission.

• Music and entertainment:

Opening ceremonies starting at 10:30 a.m. and feature: Honor Guard Presentation of the Colors, Isabella Clark singing the National Anthem and a performance by Guns and Hoses

Robert Gonnelli and Associates – A Moment In Time, performing throughout the day

Performance by the Calendar Girls at 12:30 p.m.

Mariner JROTC rifle demonstration at 1 p.m.

Participants:

• Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 594

• Gold Star Families

• Collier Lee Honor Flight

• Holiday for Heroes

• American Legion Post 90

• Purple Heart Chapter 696

• Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 9-10

• DAV – Disabled American Veterans

• Blue Star Families

• Korean War Vets

• Florida Military Vehicle Heritage

• Hearts & Homes for Veterans

• Cape Coral Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA)

• VFW District 13

Cape Coral Museum of History

Since its inception in 1987, the Cape Coral Museum of History has sought to discover, preserve and share the history of Cape Coral through its archives, museum exhibits and public programs. The museum is the official repository for the history of Cape Coral and serves as a public resource for all sectors, as well as international and U.S. tourists. Operated by the Cape Coral Historical Society, the museum exhibits artifacts, documents and photographs pertaining to the history of Cape Coral and Southwest Florida. As an added bonus, the museum will be open to tour for free during the event. Grab a scavenger hunt sheet at the museum’s booth and enter to win a prize basket. capecoralmuseum.org

To reach CRAIG GARRETT, please email news@breezenewspapers.com